Looks Can Be Deceiving
by Kolored
Summary: Takes place mid-New Moon. 3 months after Edward leaves, Bella is attacked, but saved by a rebellious vampire. Who is he? EdwardxBella, but remember, looks CAN be deceiving... Read&Review, and you get a preview every time! :
1. Looks Can Be Deceiving

**So, hey everyone, this is the first chapter of 'Looks Can Be Deceiving!' Ooh, exciting, isn't it? xD Yes, no prologue, because I am lazy. Hmm. Too bad. This is my very first fanfic and I have had this idea stuck in my head for weeks, and I had to voice it somehow. Sorries for any spelling or grammar errors, and please go easy, this is my first fanfic. I am unsure on whether or not I should continue this, so please review! If I get at least one review, I shall continue. :) Oh, and sorry that it's short. But I'm just beginning... Laughs evilly So, onward with the read! **

**Disclaimer: Well, uhh, let's see, I don't own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse or Breaking Dawn, heck, I don't even own this computer! It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer, and I don't want to end up being sued! **

Chapter 1 – Looks Can Be Deceiving

The day started off as it normally would. Ever since Edward had left, my life had no meaning, no purpose to it at all. I would have already put an end to my pitiful existence, if it was not for my father, because I just could not do that to him.

By now, it still hurt to say his name, but it felt as if it was all I had left of him. The shrill ringing of the telephone startled me from the deep pits of my dark thoughts. Barrelling down the stairs, I clumsily picked the phone off of the receiver.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly.

"Bella! Is there something wrong? You seem out of breath... Well, anyways, Ange and I were wondering if you were alright, I mean, we haven't gone out for weeks ever since Edward..." I tuned out her voice once she had mentioned that fateful day, barely standing as the searing pain lashed through my chest.

"Bella?! Bella?! Hello?! Are you okay?" Jessica asked worriedly from the other end.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm okay..." I answered distractedly.

"So, as I was asking, would you like to join Angela and I down at Port Angeles? We were going there for a girls' night out, you know, to just relax and get away from it all!" she giggled the last part out excitedly. It wouldn't really hurt to go out for one night, would it? Maybe I could track down the men who had attacked me all those months ago, and that could possibly bring Edward's voice back. It couldn't possibly hurt any more than I already am, could it? "I-I mean, I know you probably wouldn't want to go, but we were just hoping..." she trailed off, stuttering as she misunderstood my hesitation.

"Oh, sure Jess, I would love to go, what time are we leaving at?" I answered in what I could only assume to be a hopefully cheerful voice.

"Oh, well, we will come pick you up at 5 O'clock tonight, and head out to get something to eat. Does that sound good?" She asked.

"Yeah, that sounds great! See you then!" I answered and put the phone down, heading up to my room for a quick shower before heading out. Shortly after, I heard a car's horn honk. Picking up my wallet, I dashed down the stairs and out the door, where I met Angela, and we were off.

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Time Jump! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

I kept running as the obviously drunk man barreled after me. He was shouting utterly vulgar things towards me. With a sigh of relief, I saw the faint outlines of the local downtown stores coming into view.

I quickly surveyed my surroundings. There were very beaten apartment buildings, warehouses and trees that dotted the streets. This did not in any way help my condition. The buildings were withered, the paint on the windows chipped away, with graffiti all over the warehouse walls. The rotting trees towered over, casting shadows and leaving an overall creepy atmosphere. Three blocks up were the downtown stores. Ironically, it seems as though I have ended up in the same predicament as I was in almost a year ago.

I do not know what brought me back to this fateful town; but I do know something.

One: I was in Port Angeles again, and that was internally tearing me to shreds already.

Two: I was in some serious trouble; and that was what could cause the physical damage. I started to get hopeful, realizing it was what I want all along, is to end the searing pain that was going through my chest.

I could not do that to my family though. Their names were running through my head. Charlie. Renee. Angela. Even him. Edward Cullen. He did hurt me, but I loved him with my heart and soul. Heck, I still do. I decided I would keep my promise to him, even though he hurt me. The man's rough voice snapped me out of my trance.

"Bella-BOO, where are YOU?!" he shouted, bumping into various objects along his run. The fact he knew my name shocked me, and I snapped my head up. Me being me, I tripped over a rock and slammed on the ground. With a whimper, I pulled myself into the sitting position and pulled my ankle up closer. Pain coursed through it, and it was badly bruised and throbbing, most likely sprained.

The scuffling of feet caused me to look up and gasp in surprise. There was the man, towering over me, with a sneer on his face.

"You honestly thought you could get away from me, didn't you? Well, you thought wrong!" he laughed harshly, sticking out a disgusting hand to touch me. Something made him stop midway, though.

"Don't. **Touch. Her."** The figure growled. This growl was not a human approximation, no, it belonged to the species that the love of my life belonged to. The same love who had broken my heart three months ago. I looked up at the growling figure and my heart leaped. There, standing in the shadows, was my sparkling angel.

He was snarling, and his teeth were bared, glowing white in the darkness. His figure was shaking with what I would think was fury, although that did not make sense, since he did not love me, or even care about me. I noticed something was completely wrong with him though. I could not quite put a finger on it, though. He took a graceful step towards my attacker and I, the moonlight shining on him, glowering.

With a jolt of shock, I noticed the change, the fault in his features. There were his eyes as they glowed in the darkness. But, that problem was, they were not the mesmerizing golden butterscotch I would get lost in.

They were glowing a bright crimson.

**So, how'd ya like it? Was it bad? Was it good? Please review, and tell me if I should continue. 'Cause I'm still unsure about this story... :) **

**xx xx xx**

**'Till next time, Kolored. **

* * *


	2. My RedEyed Angel

**Hey everyone! Okay, so, truth is, this chapter wasn't going to be out until Friday, but, surprise! Please excuse any grammar mistakes, but I don't have a beta, or anything. :)**** On with chapter two! -Marches away- PS: I am kind of still messing around with the formatting, so don't mind that either! ;)**

**Disclaimer: Greetings! It is Kolored's oh-so-evil alter ego, Feather here! I would like to say that I own Twili- Pokes with pool noodle Kolored here! My little cough annoying cough alter ego here and I do not own Twilight, or any of the characters or following books! We are just borrowing them. :)**

**Chapter 2: My Red-Eyed Angel**

_Last chapter: __There were his eyes as they glowed in the darkness. But, that problem was, they were not the mesmerizing golden butterscotch I would get lost in._

_They were glowing a bright crimson._

_--_

This did not in any way stop my attacker.

"Who made you king of the castle?!" the man laughed. Boy, was this guy on something! To completely refuse a vampire, or at least a human that looked as murderous and terrifying as Edward does, is insane! This thought turned my attention once again to the glowering Edward who was getting closer by the second.

The man shifted his position and tightened his hold on my wrist. Involuntarily, I let out a small whimper. Edward snarled angrily, and took a step out into the light.

When Edward took a step into the light, what I saw broke my heart but relieved me at the same time. This man was not Edward. Of course not, what was I thinking?! Edward would never drink off of humans. Even so, with this discovery, the man did look an awful lot like Edward and was familiar, or at least his features were.

He stepped forward, and his gaze rested on me. His bright crimson eyes held my gaze for about an unfathomable amount of time, and it was as if he knew too much, or was hiding a secret from me. I took in all of this vampire's features. He had ruffled, dirty blonde hair, dishevelled, and almost the exact same length as Edward's, flopped down into his eyes. The light from the dimly lit street light reflected off of his highlights, which were a strange colour of bronze, like Edward's.

The attacker huffed impatiently and tugged on my wrist roughly, jolting me back to reality and making me whimper once again. Two deathly pale hands shot out in front of me, landing on the attacker's arms.

"Hey! Wha-" he had started, but was cut off by the vampire's growl as he picked him up. Very roughly, the attacker was thrown fiercely through the air, crashing into the alley wall and falling to the ground with a grunt.

With a squeak, I put my trembling arm over my eyes and sobbed silently. Sure, I was thankful that this vampire had saved me from this attacker, but what was going to happen to me afterwards? The lightest of pressure was applied to my left arm, and I opened my eyes to see that the vampire was face to face with me. "Close your eyes until I say so, okay?" he asked softly. All I could do was nod, as every other part of my body was frozen with shock.

I heard the vampire lope off gracefully once I closed my eyes. Cringing away, I listened as a series of snarls, growls, and a deafening crack occurred.

_Must've been his neck…_

It felt like forever before I felt him tap on my shoulder. Opening my eyes up, I peered around him to see a pillar of smoke rising up to the dark sky. I caught the vampires gaze as he stared at me intently. His red eyes gleamed brightly, signalling he had just fed. Shrieking quietly, I put my hands over my eyes.

For an unknown reason, the vampire sighed sadly. "It's alright, I promise I will not hurt you." he murmured gently. Whimpering, I put my hands down and hoisted myself up, crawling further into the shadows, being careful of my now injured foot. He followed suit and reached out to touch me. Cringing away, I whimpered and put my hands over my eyes.

With an exasperated sigh, he came closer to me and picked me up gently, as I felt the ground disappear from beneath me as two strong arms cradled me to their chest. As much as I tried to fight it, I was losing consciousness quickly, and to admit it, I was quite comfortable. The cold and strong arms were inviting as they reminded me of much happier times of my life. He held on to me tightly and began to run as I quietly wondered where we were going, before I fell asleep.

--

My eyes fluttered open tiredly as I looked around, trying to remember what I was doing before I fell asleep. I grunted and rubbed my eyes trying to get some focus on my surroundings.

_Where in the world am I?_

A deep chuckle answered my question as I realized, not only was someone running, but someone was running with _me_. "What's going on?!" I shrieked as I was met with a ruby-eyed gaze. "Well, I saved you." he answered simply, his voice laced with a thick British accent, yet still somehow sounded familiar, as if under the British accent, his voice was smooth as honey, or velvet. The recent events washed over me like a tsunami as I remembered. That's when I realized it.

_He didn't save me! He's just taking me somewhere so he can have me for himself!_

Shuddering at the realization, I closed my eyes and held in a sob. Of course the stupid little vampire had to notice.

"Are you okay?" he whispered. I nodded my head slightly and clenched my jaw. He rose an eyebrow disbelievingly, but just shook his head. "Okay…" he muttered. The vampire slowed to a stop, gently putting me down. "We're here." he said quietly. _Where exactly is here?! _I looked up to see we were in front of our house. This terrified me to no end. _How does he know where I live?! _I turned to ask him about it, but he was gone.

Deciding against going to look for him, I ran (more like stumbled) inside to find Charlie sitting on the couch watching the latest sports program. He looked up and smiled. "Hey Bells!" I smiled back and raced to the telephone, calling Angela to tell her that I went home early, quickly making up an excuse. I quickly trampled up the stairs and into my room, flopping down on my bed. Tiredly, I opened my eyes back up and glanced toward the window. What I saw there made me shriek with surprise and fear, causing me to fall out of bed.

**-Bangs head on wall and groans- I think I need to review some of my English tips, or at least get a Beta… x.X Heh heh, cliffy. :)**** Okay, so how did you like it? Good? Bad? So-so? Too much filler? More about our mystery vampire next chapter! **

**Anyways, I know these chapters are probably too short for most of you, so I'm going to leave it up to you: How long do you want the chapters to be? Review and I'll give you a preview of the next chapter! **

**'Till next time, Kolored. **


	3. My Name is Ronald

**Hey guys! Welcome to the third chapter of Looks Can Be Deceiving! Credit of naming our mystery vampire goes to 10-shooting-5-star-91! Thanks for helping! :) ****On a further note…**

***Holds up sign saying WILL WORK FOR BETA* xD**

**And you all still haven't answered my question! ****How long do you want the chapters to be?**

**Disclaimer: Any characters involved in this story, excluding Ronald belong to Stephenie Meyer! ^^**

Chapter 3: Ronald

* * *

_What I saw there made me shriek with surprise and fear, causing me to fall out of bed…_

There, sitting in MY room, was the outline of what I could only assume to be a vampire, with gleaming red eyes and all. He flashed a grin and chuckled when I fell out of bed, his smirk showing his glowing white teeth.

Even when he did this, though, he was still quick enough to catch me before my face hit the cold wood planks of the floor. I jumped slightly at the feel of his cold arms snaking around my waist. He held me tightly as he gently placed me back on the bed. "Clumsy little Bella…" he laughed, patting my head.

I whipped around to face him, scowling fiercely. "Hey! How do you know my name?!" I furiously asked. He chortled and shook his head, closing his eyes. "Well, that moron back there made it pretty obvious by shouting it the way he did." He is clearly getting a kick out of my present predicament.

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain how you knew where I lived!" I snapped, my irritation continuing to grow. I rose my eyebrows as he stiffened greatly at that question. "That really isn't important right now." he replied smoothly.

"Ugh!" huffing angrily, I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away from the vampire, resisting the urge to stick my tongue out at him like a three year old.

He threw his head back and roared with laughter, the bed shaking beneath us. "You just…and then you…oh boy!" he spluttered, continuing to laugh as I attempted to growl at him. After seeing my expression, he stopped laughing abruptly. He put his hands up slowly, as a sign of a truce, or peace, or something.

"Forgive me, Bella, that was rude of me to laugh at you like that. I also have not introduced myself yet. My name is Ronald, but please, call me Ron." he said, extending a hand out for me to shake.

I looked up to meet his eyes, but recoiled instantly from his hand. There may have been deep, burning honesty in his eyes, but the colour cancelled any previous trust with him out. Sighing, he let his hand fall limp on the bed.

"Don't worry Bella, I am not going to hurt you." he said quietly. Considering I was frozen to the spot, he did not wait for a response and continued. "I swear, no; I bet my _soul_, that I will not hurt you…" he murmured. Stopping to think for a minute, he grimaced. "Well, it is not like we have souls or anything, but still." he muttered, focusing on my bed sheets.

_That's not the only time I've heard that line, buddy._

I snorted quietly, and his eyes snapped up to meet my own, his holding confusion. "What?" Ron questioned, clearly offended, misunderstanding what my very lady-like snort could have meant. "Oh, err, you just sound like a-a-an old friend." I whispered the last word quietly. It really hurt to consider Edward a friend, and nothing more.

Automatically I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms tightly, leaning my chin on the top of my knees. "Hm." he replied curtly. He made a gesture to comfort me, but I recoiled from it and whimpered, looking at my feet. Sighing, he put a finger under my chin, lifting it up.

"Look, someone I love is lost forever, and it is all my fault. I did something really bad to them, even worse than murder-" he broke off and shuddered at this thought, for some reason. "-So, to make it up to them, I want to help you, because obviously, you're hurting somewhere." he smiled gently, his ruby eyes twinkling.

_Ruby. Ruby means he drinks human blood. He's a murderer! Why would he want to help me?!_

I snapped my head back away from his, the furthest I could go. "This doesn't even make sense! You're a murdered- you have red eyes!" I exclaimed, pointing at him. Ron put his head in his hands and groaned. "Now _that, _I am sorry for. It was a bad decision to make, and a stupid one in my place. I'm sorry. If I could go back in time and fix it, I would… _I don't want to be a monster…" _

_Now this is freaky. Not only does he look like Edward in some ways, he also talks like him! All we need is a shiny silver Volvo to complete his alter ego… _

I looked back up at him to see that he still had his head in his hands, beating himself up over our current situation. Inching closer, I shyly put my hand on his arm. "Nice to meet you, Ron, I'm Bella." I whispered tentatively. He looked up, surprised. He smiled brilliantly.

_Oh, for the love of all that is holy!_

Even his darn smile was quite similar! This is absolutely ridiculous… Does the world _want _me to go insane or something?! Anybody with a smile anywhere similar to Edward's should be arrested…

Snapping back to the present, I looked back up at him. "So, why are you here anyways?" I asked softly. He shifted on the bed, making it shake again. "Well, after, uh, _saving you, _you seemed a bit sad about something, so I thought maybe you needed to be cheered up a bit." he explained, smiling.

_That darn smile! Ugh, just my luck to meet another dazzling vampire…_

"Um, uh, thanks." I muttered, shaking my head. I mentally slapped myself for stuttering. _Stupid, dazzling, vampires._ To my dismay, Ron burst out laughing. "So, am I really a stupid, dazzling, vampire?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Did I say that out loud?" I slapped my hand over my mouth and blushed a deep scarlet. At that point, Ron disappeared silently just as Charlie knocked on my door.

"Hey Bells, you okay in there?" he asked anxiously.

"Oh, yeah, I was just …reading something funny" I lied horribly.

"Okay then, well, I'm heading off to bed, I'll see you in the morning!" he called out. I replied with a weak "Okay" as I heard his footsteps down the hall. Ron appeared as quickly as he left, chuckling quietly. "Reading something that funny, huh?" he smirked. I smacked his arm lightly, "Oh, shut up." I yawned. He smiled even wider this time. "I guess it's bedtime for the human." I laughed quietly myself, before picking up my bathroom bag and heading for the bathroom.

When I returned to my room, I found Ron in his original spot, sitting in the rocking chair with his head bad and his eyes closed. When I walked over to the bed, he finally opened them, and opened the covers for me. Smiling gratefully at him, I quickly climbed in, he pulled the covers back and tucked me in. I couldn't help but chuckle at how childish this seems.

"You know, I can tuck myself in, I'm not a three year old." I said softly, as his laughter filled the air. "Oh, I know, I know…" he replied, his voice not only accentuated with his British accent, but filled with an unknown emotion.

I quickly nodded off into sleep, but not before feeling his lips on my hair and hearing his promise to me. "Sleep well, my Bella, and never forget, I will never let you down." Maybe there really is good things left in life to experience after Edward...

* * *

**Okay, so there! Poor Bella think's she's on the brink of insanity, seeing that little Ronnie is like an alter ego of Eddiekins. xD PS: I totally want to shoot the story's formatting right now. So excuse that, please. Sorry the end is crappy, but I couldn't think of any other ways to end this chapter. XD And don't think that the cliffies are over! Oh boy, they are not! *Cackles* Anyways, how was it? Good? Bad? Crappy? Leave a review and receive a preview. And I swear, this preview will be better than the last. **

**Till next time,**

**Kolored. ^^**

_PS: Don't forget to answer my question, how long do you want the chapters to be?! :D_


	4. Getting to Know You

**So, hey guys, and welcome to the fourth chapter of Looks Can Be Deceiving! I know I have a HEEEUGE explanation to make, so please don't attack me with your over-sized pool noodles or anything, I'd rather not have this look like something from Lord of the Flies! Eek!**

**So sorries about not updating! You know how it is, school, laziness, social life, laziness, holidays, laziness and did I forget to mention laziness? XD Not to mention this chapter is a whopping 7 pages! Actually, if it wasn't for Rosalie-Imogen-Hale this story probably still wouldn't be updated.**

**And another apology. The preview you guys got?? I switched around the chapters and changed it. That preview will not be until the next chapter.**

**So, with that, here's the next chapter! And this chapter is dedicated to…**

**Rosalie-Imogen-Hale!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Boo hoo. Darn me.**

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Chapter 4: Getting to Know You

The next morning I woke up to the warmth of the sunlight shining on my face. It had been one week since I had met Ron, and he had been with me every day of the week. The sun on my face meant that today was going to be one of those rare, sunny days in Forks, where the sun broke through the clouds, also one of my favourite days.

I opened my eyes and sat up, bringing my arm up to shield my eyes from the harsh glare. Ron was still in the same spot he was in from the night before, the only difference was that he appeared to be holding one of my favourite classics - Pride and Prejudice. He glanced up from the book and smiled what quickly became known as his smile, gently placing the book on the ground.

"Nice to see you're awake." He commented, his eyes twinkling mischievously. He tilted his head to the side and smiled innocently. "You're quite interesting when you sleep." He stated.

Immediately, I could already feel my cheeks getting hot and reddening. "Oh no! What did I say?!?!" He laughed softly and shook his head. "Oh, don't worry. You didn't say anything _too_ embarrassing." he smirked teasingly.

"No!" moaning, I put my head in my hands. He chuckled and grinned sheepishly. "Oh relax. And don't be such a worry wart." he said casually, putting his hands behind his head, a picture of total ease. He grinned when he saw me watching him, his ruby eyes sparkling mischievously. He cocked his head to the side curiously, and unfathomable expression gracing his face.

"So…" I started, breaking him from his mini-daze. "Mhm?" he asked, looking up to meet my eyes. "Well, you haven't really told me much about yourself…" I trailed off, hoping he would understand. To my delight, comprehension lit up his features. "Ah, okay. Sure, I'll tell you about my past, but let's go somewhere a bit more appropriate than your room. How about the shopping complex in Port Angeles?" he asked. "Sounds great. Just…give me a minute for my human moment." he nodded and smiled knowingly, "I'll be waiting for you outside." he said before disappearing out the window.

Quickly changing, prepping and brushing my teeth, I ran downstairs and out the door, grabbing a granola bar to eat on the way to Port Angeles. When I got outside, Ron was leaning against the passenger side door, looking at his feet. He looked up and grinned, holding up his hand, where the keys to my truck were dangling.

_Ahh, right… Those would be an essential need to actually **starting **my truck…_

"Hey! It's my truck, so I'm driving! Why do you even have the keys?!" I said, placing my hands on my hips. He calmly walked over and placed his hands on my wrists. "Well, my dear Bella," he paused for a moment, to lift up my hands off of my hips, placing them at my sides, "I am driving," he held up his hand when I opened my mouth to object.

"Well, first of all, you don't even know where this mall is. Second, you are extremely clumsy, and attract bad luck like sticky paper. I'm surprised you haven't fallen into the ocean or something."

When Ron said that, a memory of Edward once teasing me hit me like a tornado. I remember he once told me not to fall in the ocean…

I gasped and held my abdomen, trying to shield it from the torrent of emotions that flew through me. Ron's presence had brought back so many memories, even if they were only from three months ago. I was interrupted from my daze when a hand waved across my face.

_I seem to be doing that a lot lately…_

"Ello? Bella? Bella!" Ron was waving his hand in front of my face, his other hand gently holding my hand. "S-Sorry." I stuttered, still shaking. "Shh," he whispered, squeezing my hand gently. "Gosh, Bella, what happened to you?" he whispered, shaking his head. He pilled away and opened the cab door. "Come on now, we'd better get to the mall." he said softly, helping me up.

We headed into the mall together, with Ron sporting a pair of tinted glasses as to not scare other shoppers from the colour of his eyes. We made small talk while we shopped, mostly me asking Ron questions about his past. "Well, I was born and changed in Britain, quite a long time ago. Shortly after I had learned to …resist," he looked down at me, clearly awkward about the whole topic, so I nodded to him to continue.

"I fell in love with an angel. Then, I did the stupidest thing ever," he stopped abruptly and clenched his jaw. It was quite scary, the resemblance Ron had to Edward, though he didn't even know him. When he continued, his voice had dropped lower. "Even though I knew she loved me, I hurt her. Probably to an irreparable point" he whispered, ashamed. He suddenly opened his eyes, and what I saw in them scared me. His eyes were burning in intensity and regret. Never in my eighteen years of life had I ever seen someone look so sad.

"You know, when I saw you, you reminded me of her _so much_, it was nearly unbearable. And then I could tell, you were hurt, in the same way I hurt her. Just by the way you carry yourself, as if you're existing, not living. That's when I knew it. I made a huge mistake, and obviously another person did the same to you. I could not just sit there and allow you to suffer like this. So, here we are today, with me spilling my guts out to you." he concluded.

"Oh, Ron, that's terrible…" I said sympathetically, wrapping my arms around him. Instead of pulling away, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer.

The rest of the day went by quickly. We went to the local bookstore, called Mid-Afternoon, by Stephanya Reyem. ((**Good gosh x.X Don't mind my stupidity, this is all on my dearest friend, Felice.)) **"It's about this warlock named Edwin Callen who falls in love with a human named Stella Seagull. Apparently it's being made into a movie." Ron said, laughing and rolling his eyes, placing the book back on the shelf. "Seriously, the things these people come up with these days…" We headed into an Alternative Music store called Cool Subject (**Get it? Ahaha. Once again, bring the pitch forks to Felice, not me. XD) **We walked in for a minute, only to walk out, after finding the shop riddled with merchandise for the upcoming Mid-Afternoon movie.

_The publicity these things conjure up in ridiculous…_

After going to Cool Subject, we walked around for a bit more before heading back home. Surprisingly, we spent quite a long time at the mall, since it was actually evening by the time we got home. Charlie wasn't home yet. Using the key from the eaves, I walked inside, with Ron following behind me. He quietly excused himself, going upstairs, while I prepared dinner for Charlie.

I chopped up any type of fresh vegetable we had and threw them into a pot of boiling water, hearing it sizzle as it cooked. The purr of the cruiser's engine sounded as Charlie pulled up. The sound of his heavy footsteps echoed throughout the house as he entered.

"Hmm, smells good, Bells, whatchya cooking?" he asked. "Just a vegetable stirfry. It should be done soon." I answered with a slight smile. His eyes widened, maybe at the fact that I smiled? "Great Bells, I'll be out in the living room." he smiled widely, the signature "Charlie smile", with his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Charlie and I ate dinner in a comfortable silence, and I looked up to realize he was staring at me with a slight smile on his face. "What's up, Dad?" I asked, swallowing the last of my vegetables. "Oh, nothing, you just seem …happier today." he replied. "Oh," I smiled, "I guess I am." Charlie's grin widened. "Well, I'm happy to see that."

The rest of dinner went in silence, the only sound was the clanking of forks on the glass plates. Once we were finished, I got up and took Charlie and mine's plates and put them in the sink.

_I can clean these later…_

"I'll just be up in my room. I've got some extra homework to finish." I lied easily, slowly going up the stairs. "Okay, Bells!" Charlie called over his shoulder, already entranced in whatever current football game was playing on the television. I ran up the rest of the stairs and turned the doorknob.

Ron was sitting on my bed, Indian style, with his back against the headboard. He was staring at something in my closet, deep in though, and he also seemed …upset? His eyes snapped to mine when I shuffled through the door and sat next to him on the bed. All of a sudden, his eyebrows rose and he smiled mischievously.

_Him and his smile…_

"Do you have a grudge against all car radios, or just that one?" he chuckled, nodding his head in the direction of the _devastatingly_ mangled car radio that was once in my truck. "Oh, I, err…" I stuttered. He laughed and shook his head. "I'll just have to fix this another day." he looked down and picked up the mangled wires gently, once again with that darn unfathomable, confusing expression on his face. When he looked back up he was grinning mischievously, _again_. "Oh, and remind me not to allow you to go near anything electronic." I gasped and hit his arm playfully.

"Well- Ron started but an irritating beep interrupted our playful banter. He peered over me to where the useless block of machinery -also known as the computer- sat. "Well, looks like you've got mail." he stated, smiling. Groaning, I got up off the comfortable bed and went to check the mail. From the looks of it, Charlie had already contacted Renee and informed her about my so-called "progress." She was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. I sent her back a quick reply.

_Hi mom. Yeah, I am doing …better. I met someone new a couple days ago. His name is Ron. He has been helping me out a bit lately._

_Write back soon,_

_Bella._

By the time I was off the computer, Ron had disappeared into my closet, and was handling the broken radio. I walked up next to him and bent down beside him. He looked up and smiled. "I can probably have a new one in here by next week." he calculated. I laughed and shook my head. "What is with you and this radio?" He faked being hurt. "I like my music, thank you! Do you have a problem with that?" he rose one perfect bronze eyebrow and smiled, as if daring me to challenge him. I shook my head and got up, covering the radio with the garbage bag in the process.

Ron gently pulled me up the rest of the way by the elbow. He steered me towards my bed and sat me down, smiling gently. "Come on now, bed time for the human." he teased. "Wait, wait, wait, human moment!" I reminded him. Jumping up, I grabbed my bag of toiletries before running to the bathroom. I could tell Charlie was already asleep from the soft snoring which was emanating from his room.

By the time I was back in my bedroom, Ron had taken his rightful spot on the rocking chair. He had his right palm against the side of his head with his elbow on his knee, and was humming an unfamiliar tune. I hopped into bed and snuggled up under my covers. To my surprise, Ron got up and pulled my covers over me and met my eyes.

His eyes were strangely different from the time I had met him. Instead of the hard, cold and glowing crimson, they were soft and warm. His eyes were open and friendly, and there was a soft golden colour circling the pupil. For such a small change, it made a big difference. "Night, Ron." I mumbled sleepily. He smiled and chuckled softly. "Night, Bella." he sighed sadly, then smiled a small, sad smile. "See you in the morning." his whispered before padding softly back to the rocking chair.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, something came startlingly clear to me. I may have been having a great time with Ron lately, and my nightmares may have decreased, but as they say, good things don't last forever. Eventually, something will end up happening to break my bout of good luck. So, in layman's terms:

_Let the nightmares begin._

**

* * *

*****Huffs* So! Slight cliffy, no? Maybe big one? Depends on how you read into that one. Once again: Sorries for any grammar errors! I don't have a beta yet, and I don't think I'm going to get one. **

**BTW: You may want to read into this chapter a bit more. It gives a lot of hints as to little Ronnie's background and future in this story. Actually, I know some people who have read into the last couple of chapters and know ALL about Ron. *Grumbles* You people read too far into the story… And many people have asked me what affiliation does Ron have to Edward. Only time can tell! **

**And ALWAYS REMEMBER: LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING. That's the whole theme of this story. Remember that for future chapters! Specifically two chapters from now. ^^ So, how did ya like that chapter? Was it okay? Good? Bad? Please review! Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up in a year or two! ((AHAHA! Just kidding. XD)) Just to see who actually reads these author's notes: The person who reviews and answers this question correctly will receive half of the next chapter! **

**Question: What THREE things does Edward smell like???**

**Till Next Time,**

**Kolored. ^^**


	5. Nightmare

**Holy crow! Hope you're happy I updated **_**slightly **_**earlier than I normally do! XD Really, I made an effort this time, though, just for all of you. :)**** Merry Christmas!**

**

* * *

**

Disclaimer: I asked Santa Clause if I could own the Twilight series for Christmas, but until then, I don't think so! XD

**

* * *

**

Onward with the read, folks! :D

**

* * *

**

Recap:

_"__Just as I was drifting off to sleep, something came startlingly clear to me. I may have been having a great time with Ron lately, and my nightmares may have decreased, but as they say, good things don't last forever. Eventually, something will end up happening to break my bout of good luck. So, in layman's terms:_

_Let the nightmares begin."_

**

* * *

**

Chapter 5: Nightmare

The dream started off just as every other single dream did, in the exact same spot and at the exact same time he left me. Even though somewhere in my subconscious I knew it was a dream, it still felt _so _real. I turned around in a complete three-

sixty, checking over my surroundings, though by now, I knew them like the back of my hand. It was extremely gloomy, and I was standing just outside the forest by Charlie's home. The trees on the outside were tall and looming, and the sky was

tinted a dark, murky blue. It was not until that point until I noticed that there was someone standing off to the side.

The figure was just inside the covering of the tall trees, a dark, mysterious shadow casting over his face. But even still, I knew who it was. The figure took a step out of the trees, just enough so I could see the basic features of his face. There,

standing in all his glaring glory, was Edward. But not the Edward I knew. Definitely not the Edward I knew. His eyes were a blistering, angry onyx, his jaw set, glaring at me with fury. The intensity of his stare was almost just like the first day we

met, except magnified by one thousand. Then suddenly, he turned around and walked briskly into the darkening depths of the forest. My eyes involuntarily widened. He was leaving. _And not with one glance back._

"NO!" I screeched, but it did not help. He continued to walk on, his back to me, ignoring me. I pathetically crawled after him, screaming his name, descending deeper into the eerie glow of the woods. I tried to follow after him, but just as I entered

the forest, my feet stopped moving, and it felt as if they were cemented to the ground. By now he was farther away, only the brilliant glow of his bronze-coloured hair was visible. I stared after him, looking over what was left of his agonizingly

beautiful features, until his figure was swallowed up completely by the shadows. Crashing to my knees, I looked up to the sky and screamed, an agonizing cry of misery; defeat.

It was _over. _He was _gone. Never to return._ The voices in my head repeated taunted me with these words, never stopping, as I continued screaming furiously, thrashing. Roots from surrounding trees sprung up from the ground and engulfed me,

dragging me further through my grief, just as they do in every dream. But then I realized, something was different. There was a hand on my shoulder, tearing away at the roots that had imprisoned me, all the while whispering comforting things into

my ear. His voice was saturated with velvet, a beautiful replica.

"_Bella, it'll be okay, I promise, love, I promise. I'll fix this, somehow. I'll make it up to you. I promise."_

But none of that mattered. He was _gone. Forever. _"NO! Edward! DON'T GO! I'M SORRY I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH!" I wailed, still screaming. The roots were removed by now, and the hand that was on my shoulder moved to my cheek, stroking it gently.

The other hand went under my chin and tilted my face, so I was met with soft, golden eyes. The eyes that I have grown to be familiar with, though in a crimson shade. Ron's eyes. He kneeled down and picked me up gently. I could just barely

smell a hint of smoke. He took off quickly, out of the forest, just as wild, red flames started engulfing it.

"_I will protect you, forever. And I'll always be here for you. Things'll get better, I promise. Just let me fix it."_

I held on to him gently as he ran, staring into his eyes. He set me down gently and rocked me back and forth, humming to me softly.

"_Bella."_

I clutched to him tighter, listening to the comforting notes, tuning out everything around me.

"_Bella."_

But still, I wished that it could be someone else humming this tune to me, and that it would be my own lullaby being hummed to me.

"Bella!"

I gasped and opened my eyes and was met with crimson-and-golden-ringed irises. (**AN: If that makes sense…)**

_ It was just a dream. It was just a dream. Oh God, was it ever a dream, though…_

Seeming to sense my mood or thoughts, he voiced my thoughts. "Shh, Bella, it was just a dream, that's all… Just a dream…" he chanted in my ear quietly. He continued to lull me to sleep, until I finally drifted off into darkness.

It was not until morning that I actually woke up once again. Surprisingly, still in Ron's arms. I looked up to see that he had his eyes closed, with a serene little smile on his face. He opened his eyes when he realized I was awake, probably from

my heartbeat accelerating. He froze almost immediately once he realized where he was, and awkwardly removed his arms from around me.

"I-err, sorry, you were just sort of-" he started, but I cut him off quickly.

"No, thank you. Normally my dreams aren't like that," I scrunched up my nose in displeasure at this fact, "but you helped me." I smiled. He smiled back and released me, standing up. He looked out the window distractedly for a second. "Err, your

father's already left, so I'll be waiting downstairs, if you want…" he trailed off uncertainly. I nodded and he smiled gently, before disappearing out my door.

After my "human moment" I made my way downstairs, my hair up in a high ponytail and dressed in faded blue jeans and a tank top. Ron was already sitting in one of the kitchen table chairs by the time I got down, and a bowl of my favourite

cereal was in my place. I smiled gratefully at him and sat down beside him before picking up my spoon. For some strange reason, Ron watched me intently as I ate slowly. I got up from my spot and went to the counter, putting my dish into the full

sink. Ron got up swiftly and helped me clean the dishes from last night, drying them. Just as I placed the last bowl into the cabinet, the doorbell rang. Ron stiffened in his spot and froze.

_ Strange._

Before I could ask though, the doorbell sounded again, this time in a series of three rings. I jogged over to the door and pulled it open. "Hey, hey, hold your, horse pills, I was-" I looked up and stopped speaking abruptly, blinking furiously.

_ Are you kidding me!?_

"Alice!?" I shouted in disbelief. Her golden eyes shone brightly, and she had a small, tentative smile on her face. "Bella!" she pulled me into a firm but gentle hug. "I'm so sorry, Bella, I wish I could've stayed, but _he _forced me into going…" she

prattled off sadly.

"Alice, Alice, it's okay, I forgive you. You don't know how much I've missed you." I said softly, hugging her back. She pulled back and smiled gently, "Oh, believe me, I-" she broke off suddenly when she glanced past my shoulder.

She lifted her lips past her teeth, and a terrifying growl passed through them.

"Alice?" I questioned cautiously. It took me a minute to realize it wasn't _me _she was glaring at, but someone _behind _me. I whipped around, and Ron was standing in the

doorway of the kitchen, watching -more like glaring at- Alice.

She stalked past me gracefully, still softly growling. "_YOU…" _she hissed past her teeth angrily, still approaching him.

**

* * *

**

**Holy Horse Pills! (...? xD) Alice, what have you gotten yourself into!? And how in the world does she know Ron!? Guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter… *Cackles* So, what did you think of this chapter??? Please review! :D**

** And please check my ****poll out! I've got a question, as well: Who wants me to enrol/re-enrol Ronnie and Alice in school to go with Bella???**

**See you next chapter,**

**Kolored. ^^**


	6. Visitor

**Hey everyone! So, this is the next chapter of LCBD! I know it's been a while, but before you start pelting me with tennis balls, here me out: I had exams 'n everything, and I am naturally lazy. XD PS: I seriously feel like shooting this formatting system right now. I dunno what's wrong with it. x.X **

**Shout out to my new beta Im Bettin on Alice! :] **

**Disclaimer: Sure, I own the Twilight soundtrack, a couple posters and T-shirts, but I don't own Twilight. Pity. XD**

* * *

**Last time on LCBD:**

"_**I whipped around, and Ron was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, watching -more like glaring at- Alice. She stalked past me gracefully, still softly growling. "YOU…" she hissed past her teeth angrily, still approaching him."**_

**Chapter 6: Visitor**

Alice stalked forward angrily, still snarling something incoherent under her breath. I widened my eyes as I watched, horrified at the prospect of what the little pixie may possibly do to Ron. She may be small, but I definitely learned from experience that she could sure pack a punch. I looked over to Ron to see that he did not look the least bit terrified, or even nervous. Instead, he was still casually leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and one delicate eyebrow risen, the corners of his lips twitching as if he were trying to hold back a smile.

The short vampire continued to stalk forward until she came to a stop in front of him. She huffed and glared at him. He smirked and nodded his head curtly, as some kind of form of a greeting. "Alice." he greeted quietly.

…_Wait, he knew her!? What a small world…_

Before I could open my mouth and ask the inevitable question, she went off like a fire alarm.

"You…you…you…UGH!" she growled and stomped her foot melodramatically. He rolled his eyes at her actions and sighed.

"I can't believe you!" throwing her arms up in the air, she huffed again. The next words that came out of her mouth were a shock to me, as she jabbed her finger into his chest, emphasizing each word.

"Where." Jab. "The." Jab. "HELL." Jab. "Have." Jab. "You." Jab. "BEEN!?" she shouted, making him wince. "Look-" he started, but was cut off by Alice. Again.

"Don't you 'look' me, Ron Cullen!"

_ Wait… Cullen?!_

Taking no notice of me, she continued on her rant. "You left, and did not even bother to tell us where you were going! No phone calls, nothing! How long has it been, years, DECADES!?" she stopped and looked up at him, taking note of something. "Oh, and your eyes, Carlisle won't be happy about that…"

He sighed roughly and closed his eyes. "Working on that, Alice…"

"WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!?" I finally exploded. Freezing in their spots, they both turned to look at me, shocked at my uncommon outburst. "Alice, how do you know Ron, and why did you call him a Cullen?" I asked. Understanding donned Alice's face, and she smiled widely, laughing.

"Well, that's because he is a Cullen!" she turned to Ron and smacked the back of his head. "You barely told her anything about you!" she accused.

"I don't think she would understand-"

"Yes she would!" Alice sang. Ron shook his head and sighed, pinching his nose briefly. "Okay, so I was with the Cullens for a bit, but that's it."

"That's not it!" Alice retorted. "You and I were nearly as close as I am to Edward!" I winced at the mention of his name, and Ron's eyes flashed. Alice looked completely confused for a moment before composing herself. "Anyways… Ron, what are you doing here?" she questioned him. He rose an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" he retorted. She shrugged and skipped over to my side, hugging me. "Well, dearest brother, I am visiting my best friend. Do you have a problem with that?" she challenged him. He growled angrily and glared at her. "I know for a matter of fact that he told you to stay away from Bella." Alice gasped melodramatically. "Have you been stalking him?" Ron sighed and slapped his hand to his forehead. "You're impossible." he chuckled darkly, shaking his head.

Alice glared at him shortly, before looking away. "Anyways… why are you here? Hmm, Ron?" she rose her eyebrows and put her hands on her hip, staring at him disapprovingly. Ron snorted shortly. "For your information, Alice, I saw Bella in an alleyway, while I was …doing something." he explained to Alice. She gasped and Ron's eyes widened infinitesimally. "I can tell exactly what you're thinking, and no, I was not hunting Bella!" he hissed angrily, before whirling around and stalking out the door. I looked to Alice worriedly. She sighed and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs.

"He'll be back in a couple of hours, don't worry," she murmured softly, shaking her head. "What have you gotten yourself into, dear Bella?" I did not reply to what Alice said, so instead I sat across from her, shocked. It took me a minute to compose myself before I could even speak coherently. "How-When did Ron live with you?" Alice smiled and leaned back in her chair.

"Well, you see, Ron joined the family before Jasper and I were even there. He joined when Edward was off on his, uhm, rebellious streak. He left our family after he and Edward had a fall-out.

Him and Edward never got along, they were always at each other's necks, so to speak." Alice shook her head and laughed grimly at some sort of inside joke.

Alice lifted her head as if she was listening closely to something. Whatever she heard made her sigh and shake her head in disapproval. She furrowed her eyebrows and drummed her fingernails on the table.

"What? What is it Alice?" She looked up and smirked. "Oh, nothing. Ron is just cursing out the forests surrounding the house, in typical Ron fashion, of course. I don't think he liked the comment I made about him and Edward." She laughed and shook her head.

"So, erm, Alice…" I trailed off as she looked up at me.

"Hm?" she smiled and cocked her head to the side, probably aware of the question I was about to ask. "How have you guys and, umm, Edward been?" I asked tentatively, steeling myself as I said his name. Though it didn't hurt to think or even hear his name, it sure as hell hurt to say it. Just as Alice opened her mouth, though, Ron walked back in.

"Sorry." he muttered, while taking a glance towards the door. Alice just shrugged and began talking. "Well, I guess we've been alright, though it's no fun without you around anymore. Emmett misses watching you face-plant into the ground as a form of entertainment." Alice frowned then, deep in thought. "And as for Edward, well, honestly, we don't even know where he is. He keeps evading my visions." her frown deepened as she furrowed her eyebrows.

Ron let out a sigh that sounded more like a growl. "Yes, well, Edward's an idiot, especially after what he did to you." I perked up after hearing this. "Wait, how did you know it was him? I never told you…" I whispered brokenly. I heard Alice mutter something about being too perceptive just as he answered me. "Easy. I put two and two together. It's not that hard to get. And plus, only Edward could do something as stupid as this." I looked over to Alice, and surprisingly, she appeared to be supporting this Edward-bashing session.

Both Ron and Alice turned their gazes to the door. "Prepare for hurricane Charlie…" Alice whispered.

But why would Charlie explode?

Before I had the chance to voice my question, the sound of the cruiser could be heard pulling up next to the house. Footsteps were heard, mixed in with the sound of my heavy breathing, as Charlie walked up the stairs and opened the door.

"Hey, Bells, I thought that maybe we could go to the Lodge for dinner tonight, instead of you making something," he stopped for a minute to hang up his gun and jacket. "You know, as a special treat…" he trailed off when he turned around. "Alice?" he questioned disbelievingly. He switched his gaze to Ron, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You look rather …familiar." Charlie mused quietly. "Who are you?"

Ron stuck his hand out and greeted Charlie in his light British accent, "Ron Cullen, sir, Carlisle Cullen's nephew." I rose my eyebrows at him, but inwardly shrugged in the end. Ron received a grunt in reply before Charlie stalked off towards the living room.

Alice and Ron both looked at me, visibly asking for answers. Shrugging, I replied uneasily. "Ever since the, err, incident, Charlie isn't really trusting of any new guys I meet." "Ah." they both muttered simultaneously, nodding in understanding. Not too much later, light snoring could be heard from the living room, the television still on.

"Sorry, but I think because of us, Charlie has cancelled your dinner plans." Ron drawled guiltily.

"'S alright, I can just have some leftovers." I replied, shrugging. Ron and Alice once again shook their heads, "No, it's not alright, we'll take you out." Alice replied. I tried to refuse, but was interrupted by Ron every time.

"But-"

"-No."

"I-"

"-Non."

"How about-"

"-Nee."

I rose my eyebrows and put my hands on my hips. "Was that _Dutch_?" Ron smirked.

"Don't try distracting me."

"Ugh! Fine, I'll go, just stop doing that!" Ron grinned triumphantly. Alice smiled. "We'll be back in about a half hour," she replied before flitting out the door. Ron smiled his signature smile. "Bye, Bella," he murmured. Turning towards the living room, he gave a mock salute. "And, of course, General Swan," he said seriously. I giggled and Ron turned towards me, giving me a soft smile before following Alice out the door.

I trudged up to my room to grab my bag of toiletries. Stopping at my bed, I found a full outfit set out for me, with a note sitting on top of it.

_xX Bella Xx_

_I thought these might look really cute on you tonight!_

_xX Alice Xx_

Groaning, I grabbed my bag of toiletries from my dresser and took a quick shower. I dried my hair and threw it up into a quick ponytail, not bothering to do anything else with it. I put on the pair of dark wash jeans and the sweater that Alice left out. All-in-all, it actually looked pretty nice.

I quickly made my way downstairs and went into the kitchen, checking to make sure Charlie at least had something to eat if he woke up tonight. I took a quick inventory of the freezer, and saw Harry Clearwater's fish fry. Leaving a quick note on the kitchen counter, I walked out of the kitchen and to the door, just as Alice made it up the porch stairs. I grabbed my jacket and purse, locking the door behind me. What I saw when I turned around made my breath hitch. Sitting in front of the house wasn't just any car. No, it was a _silver Volvo_. Not just any silver Volvo, no, it was _his_ silver Volvo.

_ What do the fates have against me!?_

Ron was leaning on it with his hands in his coat pocket. He looked up when he heard my breath hitch. "Don't worry, Bella, the poofter just left it behind when he disappeared. Alice drove it up here, seeing as it is the most inconspicuous of the Cullen cars." he said with a small smile. With a sigh of relief, I approached the Volvo, putting all of the heartbreaking memories in the back of my mind and getting ready for the ride of hell.

* * *

**Alrighty then! Chapter 6 of LCBD is finished! :] I know I know, I left a mean cliffy at the end. But what author doesn't??? Please review, and I'll give you a _preview_! Heh heh! And who says I can't rhyme! xD**


	7. Inside Jokes and Complications

**Hiya! Sorry for the long wait… Sure, I was a bit busy, but I'm not going to lie to all of you. I am a huge procrastinator when it comes to certain things, and I am also incredibly lazy. XD Sorry if there are any typos or mistakes, but this has not been beta'd. :] This chapter is dedicated to one person - Flis, otherwise known as Flelice on here. Without her pushing -cough- threatening -cough- me to upload this chapter, it might have just been another month (or two!!) before this chapter got out. And also kudos to Flis, she was the one who helped me sort out this chapter, considering I had rewritten it a total of three times. xP**

**Disclaimer: Sorries, I don't own Twilight or any of its awesomeness characters. Those are all Smeyer's.**

* * *

_Last time..._

_"With a sigh of relief, I approached the Volvo, putting all of the heartbreaking memories in the back of my mind and getting ready for the ride of hell..."_

Looks Can Be Deceiving: Chapter 7: Inside Jokes and Complications

The three of us sat in the Volvo as we made our way to the lodge. Ron was driving, Alice was in the back and I was in the passenger seat, staring blankly out the window, focusing on the surrounding green trees that we were swiftly passing by. I was trying to keep my mind off of the inevitable. Obviously, it was not working. It did not help that the car still smelt like _him, _(**Ahh, it's the dubious cliché **_**him, **_**someone save us all!! XD) **and the fact that for some reason, _his jacket_ was hanging on the back of _my seat._

Ron seemed to have noticed this too, as he was sitting rather stiffly in his seat, frowning deeply as he focused on the road in front of him. Alice had given him directions before we had left the house - as if he, a vampire, would actually need them. As soon as he pulled into a parking space and stopped the car, he swiftly hopped out of the driver's seat and opened my door. Alice flitted to my other side and we walked slowly into the restaurant.

Lucky for us, the Lodge was nearly empty tonight, so we did not draw any unnecessary attention. Ron still kept his eyes drawn towards the table though, hiding the fading crimson of his irises. The waitress practically bounced her way over to our table and took our order, her eyes occasionally flashing towards Ron curiously. Alice had politely declined anything for the both of them, leaving the waitress to turn to me.

"Uhm, I guess I'll just have the Jupiter burger with fries, please," I answered the unspoken question quietly, handing back the flimsy menu.

"Okay then, your meal will be out shortly," she gave me a small smile before turning towards Ron and Alice, "Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"We will be fine, thank you," Ron answered back politely, the first time during the night.

"Al-Alright," the waitress stammered, dazed as she walked away, shaking her head. Alice laughed a bit. I turned to Ron with my eyebrows raised. "Carlisle's nephew?" I asked sceptically, bringing up the cover story that he had revealed to my father earlier.

He shrugged innocently. "It's a fool-proof alibi. No one will be suspicious that way." he answered honestly. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat before launching into the next question I had. "How did you …become a Cullen?" I asked cautiously. He tensed slightly, but composed himself quickly.

"Well…" His eyes flashed to Alice momentarily, and she nodded silently in encouragement. Ron sighed and looked back to me. "Like Alice and Jasper, I wasn't _created _by Carlisle, but I did join their family for a short period of time. I actually took on the Cullen name and went to high school with them for four years. The problem was the fact that Edward and I… we weren't exactly what you would consider _friends_…"

"Oh no, they were _real _close friends…" Alice interrupted icily, rolling her eyes. Ron shot Alice a look, but she just sighed and shook her head. "…Anyways, shortly after we had an argument, I left, and I have been living as a nomad, until finding you, of course." he smiled weakly.

"Oh, for goodness sakes…" Alice muttered, exasperated. Before anymore could be said, my dinner arrived, and I ate in silence, with the exception of Ron and Alice having a quiet conversation about something unimportant. After a short while, Ron sighed in resignation, lowered and shook his head furiously, his blonde hair flipping in front of his eyes. He looked up at me, then towards Alice, opening and closing his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

"I'll just… be in the restroom," muttering awkwardly, I got up and made my way to the ladies' room, hoping to break the tense atmosphere that was surrounding the three of us tonight. Examining myself carefully, I realized that I was looking better than I had for the past three months.

_Perhaps having Ron around really was helping me…_

Not healing me, of course not, but allowing me to somewhat enjoy my life - or what was left of it, at least. This certainly was giving me hope for the future, that maybe someday I_ would _be able to move on and look forward to the future. I fixed my hair and splashed some water on my face, waking myself up from the daze I was currently in, before I headed back to the table.

Instead of breaking the tense atmosphere, it seemed as if the stress had escalated since I left. Alice was sitting uncomfortably in her seat, forlornly staring out the window, biting her lip nervously. Ron had his head in his hands, clenching at his hair anxiously.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked softly, being cautious. Alice snapped her gaze to mine while Ron just kept his head down. "There's been a… _complication._" Ron muttered miserably without lifting his head up. Alice sighed angrily and slammed her hands down on the table, "I had a vision, and there's going to be a problem, though I don't know when."

"Problem?" I whispered weakly. Ron groaned and tightened his fists even more, if that were possible. "Vampire." was all Alice said.

_Vampire? …Oh? Oh. __**Oh.**_

Ron groaned and loosened his grip, running his hands through his hair. "Bloody hell…" he moaned. Tentatively, I put my hand on his arm. "Hey, aren't I supposed to be the one hyperventilating over this?"

He looked up at me and smiled his signature smile. His light blonde hair was sticking up everywhere, the light catching the subtle bronze highlights as he moved.

"Thanks Bella, you always know how to cheer someone up," he murmured into my ear as he hugged me. Instead of shrinking away, I relaxed into his embrace, clutching tightly to his back and sighing. It occurred to me then, that even when going through hell, it is still possible to find an angel. My arch angel was slowly but surely pulling me out of this hell that my angel had left me in. Sure, Ron may not be _my angel_, but he was something more.

_He was my arch angel._

_______________________ Time Jump (Back at Charlie's House) ___________________

Alice was sitting at the kitchen table, along with Ron and I. We watched her carefully as she drummed her fingernails on the table, concentrating. "Our main objective is to protect Bella from this vampire." Ron spoke out abruptly. Alice nodded in agreement. She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head strangely.

"Err, Alice, what exactly was the vision that you had?" I asked nervously. She turned towards Ron, who looked at the ground for a minute, then at me. He sighed, frustrated. "Well, I saw you and another vampire deep into the forest, and the vampire didn't look too friendly." Alice answered cautiously, as if she was hiding something from me.

"Who was the vampire? Was it Victoria?" I asked frantically. Ron intercepted, putting his hand on my shoulder, "No, Bella, the vampire wasn't Victoria, or even Laurent for that matter. **((Too cliché…))** He's still up in Alaska, with the Denali coven."

_What the…? How does he even know that?_

"Alice informed me of you …experiences with the nomads." Ron added, as if he could read minds. **((For the record, folks, Ron can't read minds. It's just a simile…)) **

"Well, who was it?" I pressed. **((Building of suspense… Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock… hah hah, not really. XD))**

"We don't really know, Bella," He replied, though it was clear to see he was lying, especially how he moved his gaze to the ceiling and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Sighing, I let it go and shook my head. Ron squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, we'll take care of this. I won't let anybody hurt you, Bella." The fact that Ron cared for me, a random stranger whom he happened to come across in an alley not even a month ago, warmed my heart.

"So, how are you going to take care of this?" I asked quietly. Alice's face lit up like a Christmas tree while Ron just rolled his eyes. Alice smiled brightly. "This is the fun part! We're going to enrol into school with you!"

**((I just nearly ended the chapter here...lucky you, I didn't...:D))**

_What?!_

I blinked, speechless, looking back and forth between Ron and Alice. Ron looked rather unemotional, or indifferent, though his eyes told me a different story. They sparkled with mischief, and he had the ghost of a smile on his face. Alice was still smiling brightly, her hands folded delicately on the kitchen table.

"But, h-how?!" I spluttered finally. Ron cracked a small smile and chuckled. "Well, Alice will resume her old schedule, and I will take_ Edward's _old schedule," he sneered the name. Alice glanced towards Ron strangely for a minute before looking back at me. "Of course, we do have a fool-proof cover story," she smiled slyly, gesturing to Ron. He pulled something out of his back pocket and slid it across the table towards me. Leaning over the table, I picked it up and read it.

_Ronald Alexander Cullen_

_7 April 1987_

_London, England_

"A fake I.D.?" I pondered, raising my eyebrows. "Precisely," he grinned mischeviously, snatching it back. Alice chuckled, "Little Ronnie here," Ron growled and Alice scoffed. "Fine, _Ronald _here signed up for a supposed exchange program back in tenth grade, that would take place for six months, sending him here, where we, his supposed cousins, were living. We never planned to move, so the exchange program was finalized. Now, because this exchange program was finalized and set for Forks, it could only be completed here. We'll just say Edward was already transferred to London from L.A., and we offered Ron our home here in Forks. As a legal adult now," Alice stopped briefly and grinned, "I decided to travel to Forks and accompany Ron, considering I did not want my _favourite cousin _to be all alone in that big house."

"Well, that sure sounds ...fool-proof." I stated. "That is, if they will be able to _follow _that backstory..." Ron laughed, shaking his head. Alice leaned over and playfully slapped his arm. "Hey! Atleast it'll work!" she retorted, defending herself. "Right." Ron nodded. "All that's left to do is get the paperwork ready, and then we'll be all ready for school, come Monday." Ron smiled.

"But, erm, Ron, what about your, err, eyes...?" I trailed off. Ron looked to the floor, ashamed. Alice spoke up for him. "Don't worry, Bella, we've got some contacts that he can use." Ron sighed and shook his head, muttering something about being a monster. "Well then, we'd better go home and get started on the paperwork." she stated. "We'll see you tomorrow, okay Bella? You need your sleep, anyways."

Alice got up and hugged me before dashing out the door, Ron following suit. "Bye Alice, bye Ron!" I called out to them. Alice grinned and waved as she drove away, while Ron still kept his eyes to the car floor.

**MYSTERY VAMPIRE'S POV**

Snickering, I watched from the trees as the two Cullens drove away from the little human's house. I watched the little human inside as she prepared for sleep - one of the many weaknesses humans are possessed with. Of course, I could go up and snap her neck right there and then, but where was the fun in that? I wanted to play with her mind, and watch him **squirm **as I tortured his little human. Hurt him by hurting her...

Of course, I would just have to wait it out until the right moment came... let him get even closer to her, and then I can pounce. It's only a matter of time...

* * *

**Gaah! Okay, so that wasn't exactly too much of an exciting ending now, was it? xD *Cackles* I know, I should REALLY stop with the mean cliffies, but where would the fun in that be? :P Okies, so chapter 7 is now finished. And Ron seems to be regretting his hunting choices... Ooh... Since I have already started writing the next chapter, if you review, you get a preview! And, err, if you don't review, I shall attack you with rabid, mutant umbrellas. That's right, umbrellas!**


	8. Ronward?

**

* * *

**

Hello! :] Just as I promised, here is the next chapter of Looks Can Be Deceiving. If you are just starting to read this fanfiction, welcome! New readers always make my day, as do reviewers. :] This is the longest chapter so far, coming in at twelve pages. Hope you like it!

Once again, please forgive me for any typos, grammatical or spelling errors. I was too impatient to submit it to my beta, and I didn't want to delay any of you further. :]

Mind you, I do get daily advice by my official second hand beta, otherwise known as Flis, or Flelice on here. This story would be dead by now if it wasn't for her, and my freaky genious friends who help me proof read these chapters during our lunch at school. :D

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, though I do own Ronward…you'll understand that by the end of this chapter. xD**

* * *

Chapter 8: …Ronward?!

"_Of course, I would just have to wait it out until the right moment came... let him get even closer to her, and then I can pounce. It's only a matter of time…"_

**

* * *

****BPOV**

I sped down the stairs and into the kitchen, excitedly grabbing something to eat while watching out the window. Charlie watched with cautious amazement.

"Hey, Kiddo, why so excited?" he asked softly, as if he was afraid that asking this question would change my mood for the worst.

"Well, I will be going over to Alice and Ron's for the day." I grinned, and he gawked at me, his jaw going soft. His eyes softened as he smiled back.

"So, why is Ron here?" he asked. I smirked shortly, remembering the cover story.

"Ron's in an exchange program from London. He'll be attending Forks High until the end of this year. Since Alice is his cousin, she decided to come back here and keep him company." I had lied easily, surprising even myself. Charlie nodded, seeming convinced as well.

"Alright then, have a good time. I'd better get to work." He muttered, getting up from the table. He awkwardly waved goodbye before heading out the door, as he was never one for showing affection.

Most of what I told Charlie, excluding the cover story, was actually true. I was heading out to Ron and Alice's house. (I refused to call it the Cullen's home, that hurt too much.) Apparently, through the night, Ron and Alice had set up the documents needed to make Ron's enrolment and Alice's return legitimate.

I jumped toward my trusty red Chevy and started down Main Street, proceeding further and further into the outskirts of Forks, where the large Victorian mansion resided. This was the first time in three and a half months that I had visited this house, and nothing about it seemed to have changed. I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself, and stepped out onto the gravel driveway. Alice was already at the door, grinning.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice greeted. She motioned for me to follow her as she turned around and stepped through the threshold. Very slowly, I walked behind her, carefully keeping my eyes to the floor. If the sight of the home itself didn't kill me, seeing anything familiar surely would.

When Alice came to a stop, I looked up, noticing we were in the seldom-used dining room. Ron was sitting at one of the heads of the large table, leaving over and examining a thick stack of papers. He looked up when we had stopped beside him, grinning excitedly. He picked up half of the stack, separating it from the rest of the papers.

"This," he gestured to the pile, "is the transfer documents, from your school in _Los Angeles._" He snickered at the obvious lie. "The rest is the student exchange documents and fake teacher's reports from London." He got up from the table and put the documents in two large mailing envelopes. "Now, all we need to do is deliver these to the school, then we're all set."

Alice grinned beside me. "Great! From the looks of my visions, we should have no problem at all. This'll be so fun!"

"Okay, well, unless we have any other plans, I suggest we head out to the school right now, just to get this over with." Ron concluded, heading out front door.

We arrived at the school, and Ron went inside to drop off the documents, feeding the secretary the cover story, which she obviously believed. Men as good looking as Ron - or any of the Cullens - could tell females the sky was falling and they'd believe them.

Ron came out moments later, a smug smile on his face. He swiftly hopped into the back seat of the Volvo. "Well, Forks high here we come. Woo hoo!" he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Alice shook her head, laughing.

The rest of the weekend went by rather quickly. Alice and Ron spent the remainder of Saturday at my house, where we sat and lounged around in my room. Sunday was completely uneventful, considering most of it was spent working at Newton's Sporting Goods. What was left of Sunday was spent finishing off homework, then I was off to bed.

I woke up to the consistent, annoying buzz of my alarm clock the next morning. Groggily, I reached across to my bedside table, smashing my hand down on the monstrosity, effectively turning it off. I sat up in my bed, staring blankly at the wall for a few minutes.

_Was it possible? Did I actually go one full night without bad dreams?_

I dragged myself out of bed and went to look in the mirror. Surprisingly, I looked better than I had in a long time - three and a half months, to be exact. I actually looked well rested, and - dare I say it - somewhat _happy._

The rings under my eyes were a lot less noticeable and lighter than usual, and I actually had some colour back in my cheeks. Perhaps that's why Charlie was so happy this morning...

Quickly, I got dressed into my favourite pair of jeans, a hoodie and sneakers, and went into the kitchen. I polished off my cereal and grabbed my book bag and coat, heading out the door. Someone knocked, making me jump. Startled, I opened it, finding Ron waiting at the doorstep, his hands in his pockets and smiling.

"Thought you might need a ride." he said in his perfect British accent. I looked over his shoulder, and Alice waved from the driver's seat, smiling. I grinned back and slung my bag over my shoulder, locking the front door as I went. "Thanks, Ron." He nodded in response before hopping in the backseat.

"So, are you excited?" I asked Ron and Alice sarcastically. Alice laughed and shook her head while Ron ungracefully snorted.

"I don't think _excited _is the right term." he muttered. "I'm pretty sure that if I didn't like it the first few times, I'm definitely not going to like it now. Although," he added in a softer tone. "I am going with you, and I'll be in most of your classes. That's definitely a good thing." Once he was finished, he looked shyly down at his hands. **(Awwe! How sweet!)**

Alice swiftly turned into the parking lot, and nearly every student froze, their eyes on the Volvo. Immediately it reminded me of the first time Edward had driven me to school. Clenching my jaw and shutting my eyes, I shook away that memory, not willing to take the pain.

Alice had shut the car off and was opening the door just as I opened my eyes. Gasps could be heard as Alice stepped out, and whispers started up between everyone, immediately reminding me of some over dramatic Hollywood movie. The thought of that made me laugh a bit.

"Done day dreaming yet?" Ron asked from the back, one eyebrow raised.

"I do that a lot, don't I?" I asked rhetorically, though he nodded anyways, chuckling. He opened his door, getting out and opening mine. Eyes immediately zoomed in on Ron and I as we joined Alice, their eyes widening as they saw me with Ron.

All eyes stayed on the three of us as we walked across the parking lot. The students around us whispered to each other, others were just outright gawking. Ron took notice of this and shook his head, He narrowed his eyes and wrapped his arm around my waist, earning more gasps from the audience. Vaguely, I could hear a conversation between some on looking sophomores.

"Is that…_Edward Cullen?!_"

Ron tightened his grip slightly. I looked up to his face to see he was grinning. The deep brown colour of his contacts contrasted beautifully with his skin. For his eyes, any other colour than red made him look absolutely brilliant. The protective-ness was completely radiating off of him.

"Well, this has got to be one of the weirdest events that has ever happened in my life. It's not everyday that you are mistaken for your best friend's …_ex-boyfriend._" He said strangely.

…_Oh! So that's what Alice meant when she said we were going to enjoy ourselves! She saw this all coming!_

I laughed bitterly and shook my head as we continued walking, straight to the main office.

"Hello," Ron greeted the secretary smoothly. "I'm Ron Cullen, and my cousin Alice and I are here to pick up our schedules."

Mrs. Cope looked up and gasped in recognition, obviously seeing the familiarity between Ron and Edward that everybody else seemed to be noticing today. Ron's eyes tightened slightly in response to Mrs. Cope's actions, but covered it up quickly. "Oh! Well, welcome to Forks High School, Mr. Cullen." she handed him his schedule before turning to Alice. "Welcome back, dear." Mrs. Cope smiled warmly at Alice, one which Alice brilliantly returned.

"Well, you don't have to worry about getting any paperwork filled out, since you are just returning, but Ron, you need to have this slip signed by all your teachers and bring it back by the end of the day." She informed them kindly. Ron and Alice both nodded, and the three of us left the office. Ron and I parted ways with Alice and headed to our first period class, English.

Just as we walked into the class, all eyes were on us, some who had seen us earlier were still shocked, others who had not seen us were flabbergasted. **(Heh heh. Flabbergasted. What a silly word. XD) **I had a feeling this was going to last all day. _Wonderful._

Ron completely ignored the nosy classmates and went to the teacher's desk, handing over his slip to be signed. Mr Mason raised his eyebrows questioningly and looked up at Ron. "Well then, welcome to Forks High, Mr. Cullen. You can sit next to Miss Swan in the back row," Gasps had resounded when Mr Mason called his name. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Ron made no attempt to stop himself as he turned around, smirking and rolling his eyes.

He gracefully plopped down beside me, turning towards me slightly. "Bella." he smirked, nodding once. "Ron." I mimicked his actions. He chuckled lightly before turning toward the teacher. Mr Mason stood up and called the class to order.

"So, as you can see, we have a new student today," Mr Mason was interrupted as the other students started whispering to each other. "Quiet!" he shushed the class. "As I was saying, we have a new student. Ron Cullen is a transfer student from London, England. He'll be staying with us until graduation," Mr Mason explained. "Now, moving on with our lesson…"

English passed by rather quickly, as did math and the remainder of classes before lunch. Lunch was what I was fearing. It was the real doozie. Going to the cafeteria with Ron and Alice meant more attention towards us, possibly even more than we were receiving in the classroom. If there was one thing I disliked most, it was attention.

_Well, there's no stopping the inevitable…_

I took a deep breath before heading out of the Spanish classroom, my only class without Alice or Ron in it. Ron was leaning against the building casually, staring up at the sky. He pushed off of the wall and joined my side as we made our way to the cafeteria.

"So… How was Spanish class?" He asked casually. I snorted.

"Is this your attempt at small talk?" I asked incredulously.

"Honestly? Yeah." he rose his eyebrows and smirked.

"Ronnie's not very good with socializing. Never has been, never will be." A new voice sighed overdramatically. I jumped, not realizing Alice had joined us. Ron growled at Alice. "I told you not to call me that." Alice smirked. "Well then, I could just call you Ronald, or, you know, _something else…" _Alice murmured, a double meaning hidden behind her words.

Ron narrowed his eyes, to which Alice just stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't bother, you'll just get in trouble." She said matter-of-factly, smirking. Obviously the little pixie had seen a vision. Ron muttered something under his breath before he turned back towards the cafeteria doors, which we had so conveniently stopped at just as our conversation ended.

"Well, let's go!" Alice said enthusiastically. Shaking his head at her wrongly-placed enthusiasm, Ron opened the door and gestured for Alice and I to enter, following in after us. What happened next was something normally only seen in movies. The whole cafeteria, normally filled with noise and hustle and bustle, was completely silent. Silent as in you-could-hear-a-pin-drop silent.

All eyes were turned in our direction, specifically on Ron and Alice. With an exasperated sigh, Ron grabbed my hand and we went over to get some food. Anybody with eyes could see that Ron was really getting sick of this, and it wouldn't take much more for him to explode.

He lead us to a table in the far back, where all five Cullens used to sit when they still attended Forks High together, before Rosalie and Emmett had graduated. It was slightly excluded from any of the other tables.

"Maybe I'll work up the patience to sit with your _friends _some other day." Ron explained, nodding towards the group of nosy teenagers, their eyes still glued to us, shamelessly it would seem. Ron glared at them before looking down at his food, picking at it.

Sighing, I looked down at my own food, the school's own tuna sandwich, with an iced tea. **(Heh heh… those are really good at my school. XD)** Ron let out an exaggerated sigh, causing me to look up. It was the she-devil herself, heading this way. **(Hmm… Wonder who that could possibly be?) **She shook out her short blonde hair and sat down in the unoccupied chair across from Ron. "So, Edward, you're back. What's with the new look?" before he could correct her, she continued. "Anyways, I thought you left her?" she jutted her thumb out towards me. "Well, there's always a spot open at our table, after all, it's not like you really love her or anything. No one can, especially with her state." Flinching at her remarks, I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around my torso, trying to keep myself together.

Alice gasped, and I snapped my eyes open, looking at Ron. When looking into his eyes, I had realized that the last shrivel of patience he was holding onto was now gone. Now it was up to waiting…

_Five… Four… Three… Two… One…_

"UGH!" He half-groaned, half-growled. "This is RIDICULOUS! I am NOT my COUSIN!" he exploded. "My name is RON! WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT?! If you want so badly for me to be HIM, why don't you BLOODY well just call me RONWARD! Then at least you'd be calling me by my name somewhat!" he panted, his chest heaving up and down. "And for the record, regardless of what anyone says, or what _he _or anyone else has said, _I love Bella._" he huffed and stalked away angrily. I just watched him, completely shocked at what he just said.

_He loves me?! But, I'm not even a full person, just shattered shards of what was once me are left. No one can love me…_

_**But I can… **_Ron's voice echoed in my mind.

A stuttering sound brought me out of the depths of my own mind. I looked up, and Lauren was still standing there, looking almost as shocked as I was. Alice stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me with her.

"Well, we'd better go find _Ronward _and calm him down." she giggled, finding that funny.

As we walked, I thought back to all that had happened in the last month, from meeting Ron to seeing Alice again. I never quite understood why he cared for me so much, or even why I myself had trusted him. But now, the reason to him caring for me so much finally made sense. Although, him loving me at all didn't make sense. **(Ugh… Bella, stop going in circles… you're giving me a migraine. x.X)**

We reached the courtyard when Alice came to a stop, and Ron could clearly be seen on the bench, his head in his hands, clutching at his hair. For Ron, this was a clear sign that he was stressed. Alice approached him slowly.

"Hey, Ronward?" She called, trying to lighten the mood. His head snapped up and he glared at Alice. "Don't call me that." he growled fiercely. His reddish-golden-brown eyes were hard. His contacts were dissolving. I gasped when I saw the full colouring of his eyes and stumbled back a bit. Unlike the bright, monstrous, blood-red colouring I had grown accustomed to and dealt with when I first met him, staring back at me were now an interesting, bright orange shade, with the same gold colouring lining the outside. His eyes softened and he looked down at his feet.

"I am terribly sorry if I scared you earlier, Bella, with my outburst, I-" he had started, but I interrupted him before he had the chance to continue.

"Shh," I murmured, walking closer to him. I stopped when I was right in front of him. "Ron, your eyes…" I whispered softly, knowing that they were a sensitive topic for him to talk about. "…They're a strange golden-orange colour. What does that mean?" He closed his eyes abruptly and shook his head. "Nothing. I just need to put in more contacts." he muttered.

The bell rung, signalling the end of lunch. Ron quickly put in the brown contacts, and we parted ways, Alice and I heading to History. The class was on the daily events of the early 1900's, ironically enough we had a lesson based on the Spanish Influenza and the way it affected the world as a whole. The remaining periods went by agonizingly slow, and I was about ready to sleep when the last bell rang. Ron, Alice and I rose to my house in the Volvo. Charlie was working the midnight shift, so he would not be home until tomorrow morning. Alice and Ron came in and sat down.

Ron and I were sitting on the couch and Alice was on the floor. She had a slight smile on her face. "Ron?" I asked quietly. He turned to look at me, his brown eyes burning with intensity. "Was it true what you said, in the cafeteria today?" He looked a bit confused so I clarified a bit more. "You know, what you said to Lauren about …loving me?" I choked out. His face lit up and he smiled softly. "Of course I was telling the truth, Bella." he said softly, reaching over and tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"But, _why? _I mean, why would you want someone like me? All I am is damaged goods. Lauren was right, why would anyone want to love me?" I whispered, half to myself. Ron looked as if he wanted to cry. "Oh, _Bella…"_ he moaned sadly, frowning. "How could you think that about yourself? Don't listen to Lauren." he continued softly.

"Bella, _he _didn't deserve to have someone as special as you, and he still doesn't. Hell, I don't even deserve to be able to be friends with you." Ron stopped and shook his head sadly. He didn't know what was in front of him when he had you, he was focused too much on the negative aspects - never the positive. And for that, I'm sorry." he finished softly, his voice at a whisper.

After his speech, I just let go of everything I had been holding in for the day. All the memories and hurtful things said. I leant into his body and sobbed as he wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair. Occasionally, he hummed a soothing note into my ear, rocking me back and forth, whispering into my ear. At that moment, nothing in the world mattered. Any problems I had slowly slipped away as he soothed me quietly. That was exactly what we did for the rest of the afternoon.

At that point, whether we were together or not, or whether we would be sometime in the future, didn't matter. Just then, we were only Ron and Bella, the arch angel and the damaged goods. I knew what Ron was brought to me for, and that he was going to help heal me. He held me gently, and I fell asleep in his arms, dreaming, for the first time, of my arch angel.

_And so the healing begins…_

* * *

***Falls over* Wow… That was the longest chapter I have written yet. And also, it was my most favourite ending. :] Hope you liked it! Review, please, or I shall attack you with the spork that I have stealthily stolen off of Mika and Sukira. Heh heh, thanks in advance. XD Please, don't forget about the poll I currently have up! I'm still having trouble deciding, and the poll is currently even in the results. xD More Alice, Bella and Ronward in the next chapter, I promise. :] **

**Most importantly, always remember(especially with this story),**

**Looks Can Be Deceiving!**

**Till next time,**

**Kolored. :]**


	9. Distant

**Hey LCBD readers! Here is the next chapter! Not much to say, really, except sorry to my beta. I'm certain if I upload any more chapters without her reading over it she's going to attack me with an umbrella… xD And, I know what a lot of people are thinking by now (including Leah... xD) don't let anything mislead you. Do you see the pairing that I have set for this story? Do you see the pairing that is in the summary? Well, that's exactly what it'll be. No worries. :] Oh, and for any Ron lovers, I WILL be making an alt. ending, as well.**

**Disclaimer: Sorries, I don't own Twilight, Paramore, or any of the books mentioned in this chapter. :]**

**Anyways, without further adieu...**

* * *

_Previously: "I knew what Ron was brought to me for, and that he was going to help heal me. He held me gently, and I fell asleep in his arms, dreaming, for the first time, of my arch angel."_

* * *

Chapter 9: Distant

Being mid-March, it had been a month and a half since Ron and Alice have joined in on the high school escapades. Attention towards the Cullen 'cousins' has finally started to settle down, and Ron has settled into his surroundings comfortably. Very quickly, the three of us fell into a comfortable daily routine. In Ron and my case, it always involved innocent bonding between all of us. In Alice's case, it always involved shopping, which, to her, was "the PERFECT form of bonding!"

Very quickly, Ron, Alice and my bond was strengthened, or restored in Alice and Ron's case. Ron and I became the best of friends. I just wasn't ready for a relationship yet, nor could I trust enough yet, and Ron understood that. He never tried pushing our relationship. Neither of us ever brought up the awkward declaration of love he had showed me that afternoon after school, and for that I was relieved. Not that it wasn't sweet, oh no, it was just overwhelming and too much to take in at that point. Like mentioned before, I am just not ready for that yet.

Shaking myself out of my memories of the last several weeks, I got back to work stocking the shelves of the Newton's shop. I was off in about ten minutes and, according to Alice, I was to meet her and Ron at my house at that time. As usual, Alice probably had something planned for the three of us to do for the remainder of Saturday.

"Have a nice afternoon, Bella." Mrs. Newton said pleasantly.

"You too, Mrs. Newton." I smiled politely before leaving the shop.

Hopping in my truck, I quickly shrugged off the bright orange vest and shoved it into the glove compartment. Hearing the comforting roar of my truck, I headed off toward home, driving down the rainy streets. Alice and Ron were already waiting, the Volvo parked in the driveway.

As soon as I stepped out of the truck, I ran for the house, Alice and Ron already following behind me. Quickly entering the house, we sat down on the sofa, Alice perched on the arm of the couch.

"So…" I pondered curiously.

"Alright Alice, we both know you've got something planned for today, so just spit it out. As long as it's not-"

"-SHOPPING!" Alice said enthusiastically, interrupting Ron. Ron and I collectively groaned, exchanging glances. We both knew what was coming, but we reluctantly agreed anyways.

"Oh, come on, you two! Cheer up!" Alice moaned as we drove to the mall. "There is also a book store there, called _Pages_ - or _Chapters_, or something like that. I know you two both love that kind of crap!" she explained. Ron grunted and I continued to stare out the window at the dismal surroundings. Trees flew by at surreal speeds, turning them into dark green blobs. Groaning, Alice moved her eyes from the road and looked at the two of us. "You know, you two are almost so alike it's freaky!" she complained.

"Just keep your eyes on the road, Alice." I muttered, rolling my eyes. Ron snickered at my comment, but other than that, he kept quiet. The three of us stayed quiet until we reached the mall. Alice swiftly pulled into a parking spot, and the three of us entered the mall.

Ron and I entered the bookstore Alice had pointed out, leaving her to her own personal heaven. We browsed the classics before heading towards the other genres. Ron's hand skimmed across many titles before coming to stop at one. He swiftly pulled it out, hiding the title from me.

"Look," he began, "I know you're a fan of the classics, but why don't you try something new?" he held out the book, showing me the title.

_Lord of the Flies_

Shrugging, I took it from his hands and added it to my small collection. "Okay." Ron had already picked out _The Warden's Niece_ and _To Kill a Mockingbird_ for himself. We bought our books and exited the bookstore, where Alice was surprisingly already waiting for us, her own bags in her hands. Another shocker, she didn't have too many bags.

Before heading home, the three of us stopped off at a local fast food joint. "Hey, Alice?" I asked once I was finished eating.

"Hey, Bella?" she responded jokingly, mimicking my actions.

"Alright, ha-ha, now, have you seen anything more on the mystery vampire?" I asked nervously. All humorous pretences were dropped and Alice frowned deeply.

"Unfortunately, no. But there's no need to be worried. We're on it." She said, and Ron nodded in agreement.

"No one is going to hurt you with us here, Bella." Ron assured me, his brown eyes smoldering. I nodded without saying a word. "Well, we'd better get back. We do have a bit of a drive ahead of us, and it is getting late." Alice informed us, getting up. Ron was already standing before Alice had finished speaking, and the three of us exited the fast food joint.

The ride home was a relatively quiet one. Ron appeared to be focused intensely on something, and that kept Alice and I quiet. With a small sigh, Alice flicked the radio on and Paramore's _We Are Broken_ blared through the speakers. Though this was not the kind of music I used to listen to, the song caught my attention, I couldn't help but notice the irony. I sighed sadly as I paid attention to the lyrics.

Ron's eyes flashed to my face warily. "You okay?" he asked softly.

I nodded and flashed a small smile in his direction. "I'm alright." I responded just as quietly. Ron stared at me intensely with an unfathomable expression on his face, A few minutes passed before he nodded slowly, and looked away.

More minutes passed by slowly before we came to a stop in front of my house. "See you later, Bella!" Alice said cheerfully as I stepped out of the car. "Bye Alice, bye Ron." I responded. Alice smiled and Ron waved as they drove away. Turning around, I entered through the threshold and greeted Charlie.

"Hey Bells, where were you?" he asked with concern. I had left him with a small note, but it was a bit vague.

"Oh, I just went to the mall, out in Olympia." Charlie visibly relaxed and grinned.

"Okay. Did you have a good time with Alice and your boyfriend?" he asked casually.

I flinched before I replied. "Ron and I are just friends." I said quietly. Charlie frowned.

"I'm sorry, Bells, I just thought-" I interrupted him before he could go any further.

"Don't worry, Dad, it's okay. And I had a great time in Olympia. I picked up a few new books," I held up the bag in my hand, "that Ron suggested. I think I'm going to go upstairs and read for a bit before heading to bed. Night, Dad."

"Good night, Kiddo." I heard Charlie respond as I headed up the stairs and into my room.

Ron and Charlie had gotten along well, despite the fact that he was a male, and he was a Cullen. He was just pleased that Ron was helping me, and he approved of Ron the minute he realized this. It was expected that Charlie would jump to this conclusion…

I took a quick shower before changing into my pajama's and lied on my bed, book in hand. In all honesty, the book was actually pretty good, though the classics were still my favorite. I stopped on chapter three of _The Warden's Niece_, placing my bookmark in the book, before heading to sleep.

Sunday was spent hiking with Ron. Alice had something else to do. For some reason which I couldn't understand, Ron always wore his brown contacts even when we were out of school and away from civilization. Ron and I walked through the moss covered forest, Ron guiding me and holding me up by my elbow.

Our surroundings were a beautiful bright green, constantly fading back and forth to a darker shade. The clouds were thinner than they normally were, which allowed the sun to fade in and out of the clouds.

Though we did not come across the meadow, we did visit the open field that the Cullens had once played baseball in. It was at that time when James and his coven had come and set the wheels turning, before any of this had ever happened. The field was beautiful in its own little way - not as beautiful as the meadow, but still beautiful. We laid down in the soft grass and gazed at the sky. I smiled softly, remembering the times in Phoenix as a kid, just lying back, trying to pick shapes out of the clouds in the sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ron murmured from beside me. I turned my head to look at him. He had his arms crossed under his head, gazing wistfully at the sky. He had a faraway look in his eyes and the hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"Mhmm." I agreed softly, nodding my head. Ron suddenly hoisted himself up off the ground, offering my his hand. I took his hand and he helped me up. We started walking and he continued talking.

"You know, all of this is beautiful. Every single blade of grass, every single tree, every single leaf. So many people take it for granted." he murmured, holding up tree branches to clear the path for me. "They're always caught up worrying, usually about the trivial things in life, too." he paused now, looking into the forest, and all that could be heard was his even breathing. "They never noticed what's right in front of them, or how special it is, until it's gone." I had a feeling he wasn't talking about what's around us anymore.

He looked back at me, and his eyes held an insurmountable amount of pain. "And I pity them for that." he finished, whispering sadly. He cleared the last moss covered branch out of the way, revealing the side of the highway where he parked the car.

The ride back into Forks was once again quiet. The only thing that could be heard was the collective sound of our breathing. He pulled up in front of Charlie's house. "I enjoyed myself a lot today. I'll see you tomorrow, Bella." Ron said quietly with a small smile, the faraway look still in his eyes. "Bye, Ron." I responded, closing the door and heading inside.

**Mystery Vampire POV**

According to my plans, everything was going flawlessly. No annoying pixie or that stupid blondie of a vampire to interfere. _He_ got all the attention when we were human, and took everything away from me, leaving me alone and on the cold streets. _He_ was treated like the Prince of Egypt, while I was the street rat.

_No worries…_ I reminded myself slyly.

_He_ may have gotten everything when we were younger, but I am going to take away the one thing that he loves most, the one that means the world to _him_.

_Those two will never know what hit them…_

_ …or what **BIT** them, at least._

* * *

**And, chapter nine is now finished. :] So, I know what questions are probably running through your heads right now. So, who is **_**he? **_**And, most importantly, who is our mysterious vampire? Who knows! Oh wait… I do! XD Review and you actually get a preview this time! XD**

**And remember, Looks Can Be Deceiving!**

**Till next time,**

**Kolored. :]**


	10. Questionable Encounters

**Well, here's chapter 10 of Looks Can Be Deceiving! If you're wondering why it took me so long to update, that's because I ended up getting into this weird writing 'funk', and didn't stop writing. So now I have this chapter, the next chapter and the one after that completed. Oh! And I forgot to warn you, Edward WILL be OOC for a bit, sorry 'bout that. It's all part of the plot, I promise you. :] For those who actually read my outrageously long AN's, kudos to you. You can Pmail me and I shall send you about the first two pages of the next chapter in advance, just for you. But remember, Pmail me and ask, don't put it in your reviews. Anyways...**

**Thanks to Im Bettin On Alice for being my way too patient beta. I swear, if I was a beta and my author made me wait this long I'd rip her head off... :P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Twilight characters or the Twilight universe. I'm just borrowing them for a few months. (:**

_

* * *

_

_"Those two will never know what hit them…_

..._Or what __**BIT **__them, at least."_

Looks Can Be Deceiving: Chapter 10: Questionable Encounters

Monday morning came quicker than expected, with little disturbances from my nightmares. By the time I got downstairs, Charlie was sitting at the kitchen table, newspaper in hand and coffee mug on the table. He looked up when he heard me enter the kitchen. "Hey Bells, ready for school?" he asked, sipping his coffee.

"Yep," I replied, grabbing a bagel. "See you after work, Dad." I said on my way out. He smiled and waved. "Bye, Bells." I sighed in contentment as I walked outside, taking in the fresh air. Though it was cloudy, it was strangely warm for mid-March. I hopped into my truck and turned it on, listening to it thunder to life.

Entering the parking lot, I saw Ron and Alice already waiting by their car, Alice donning a big grin on her face. I parked the truck a few spots down and got out.

"Hi Bella!" Alice materialized beside me, making me jump. Ron shook his head and laughed. "Hey, Bella." He grinned. "Hey Alice, hey Ron." I smiled back. The three of us sat and talked by my truck until the warning bell rang.

"Well, see you two at lunch!" Alice said enthusiastically before flitting away. Ron turned towards me and held an arm out. "Well then, shall we, m'Lady?" he asked, over playing his already British accent. I laughed and linked my arm through his, being truly happy for the fuirst time in a long time. "I believe we shall," I said in my own equally cheesy accent.

We made it to English class with minutes to spare. Sitting down in our assigned seats, we read over the board. "Looks like we'll be doing a group assignment." I muttered to Ron. He nodded in acknowledgement. Before anybody could say anything more, the final bell rang and Mr. Mason jumped right into the lesson.

"Throughout this week you will be working on a group assignment with the person next to you. Together, you are to create a magazine based around the themes of the book you both will choose. This assignment will be due two weeks from today. Any work you do not get done in class will be done at home. I'll give you ten minutes to discuss with your partner now. By the time I get back you should all be finished." Mr Mason finished and left the classroom.

Ron turned towards me and grinned. "What book?" he asked simply. I shrugged and pulled out _The Warden's Niece_. "I've already started reading it, and you have read it." I explained. "Hmm. It does have good themes. And you're right, I have read it. Why not?" Ron shrugged. "Okay, perfect." I agreed, excitedly. Ron smiled and chuckled. "What?" I asked. He shrugged. "You're just amazing. Not many teenage girls your age would be excited about an assignment like this, let alone one involving _The Warden's Niece_." He said softly. I shrugged, and the teacher came back in the room, just as the bell rang.

I joined Alice for math, where the teacher assigned us monotonous length of a line segment questions. Finishing early, Alice and I talked for the remainder of the period, mainly about trivial things. There was one question that was eating at the back of my mind, even though it would completely kill me to ask. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at Alice. "What is _he_, um, I mean, Edward up to?" I choked out. Alice froze in her seat and looked at her hands, twiddling her thumbs. She frowned angrily, her eyes hard.

"He's...He's not here." She said stiffly. When she looked back up, her eyes had softened. Any sign of the anger in her eyes had vanished, and in their place was heart-wrenching pain. "We haven't _seen _him for months. He just...he left _us_, too." She whispered brokenly.

"Oh, Alice...I'm so, so sorry." I said sadly. Alice looked at me dubiously. "You're sorry? Why are you sorry? You have nothing to be sorry _for_! This is all that _idiot's_ fault! If only he would just...ugh!" She whisper-yelled. "I'm sorry for dumping this all on you Bella, I just miss my brother, y'know?" she finished, getting up just as the bell rang.

I watched after her in confusion. _If only he would just what? _Shrugging off the curiosity, I made my way to my next class. The rest of my day went by uneventful, and soon I found myself in my bed, thinking about the earlier conversation with Alice. If Edward wasn't with the other Cullens, where was he?

_Probably out with one of his distractions... _My mind thought bitterly. Cringing, I shook that thought away and dove deeper under my covers. Even as I was falling asleep, I couldn't help but feel as if I was being watched.

When I woke up the next morning, I was surprised to find the sun streaming through my blinds, lighting up my whole room. Immediately I got out of bed and grabbed a clean pair of clothes before heading to the shower. I threw on my clothes, putting my hair in a messy ponytail. I went straight to the window and pulled the blinds up.

Sure enough, it was one of those rare, sunny days in Forks, Washington. I looked up at the sky and grinned. Not a cloud in sight. Though I was rather happy, part of me was saddened by the fact that neither Alice nor Ron would be able to come to school today.

Sighing sadly, I hurried down the stairs and grabbed myself a bowl of cereal. Charlie had to go into work early this morning, so I had the house to myself. While eating, I thought about Ron and my self's upcoming English project. I was currently only on chapter three, meaning I'd have to find some time to finish reading the whole book. After all, Ron had already read it. After finishing breakfast, I rinsed my bowl out and headed for the door. I happily grabbed my lighter spring jacket in place of my heavy coat and locked the door behind me.

I practically skipped to the truck, got in, and drove to school. By the time I arrived there, the parking lot was already starting to fill up with bustling teenagers. I got out of my truck and immediately headed toward first period English, not bothering to socialize with anyone.

I was the first one to arrive to English class, excluding the teacher. Sitting down, I took out my binder and started drawing random doodles until the bell rang. Mr. Mason instructed that we work on our group assignments for the period, and seeing as Ron was not here, I took out the book and started reading. It seemed that all other groups were doing that, as well. I was so wrapped up in the book that I jumped when the bell rang.

I hurried off to art class and sat with my group. Unlike most classes, in art class, we sit in groups of four or five. The teacher instructed us to do freestyle drawing that period, using pastels. Immediately I started working away, drawing a marvellous landscape. I looked over my work, shocked at what I had drawn.

It was a beautiful oval clearing, surrounded by trees and covered in a variety of wildflowers. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, not a cloud in sight. With a gasp, I realized that I had drawn the meadow.

"Amazing landscape you've drawn there, Bella." Mrs Caddy, the art teacher, complemented me. I quietly said thank you, just as the bell for lunch rang. Carefully putting my art in the art folder, I got up from my desk and headed for the cafeteria. I sat down in the corner table, lunch in hand, with Angela and Ben joined me shortly after. They were the only two 'brave' enough to sit with Ron, Alice and I. "Hello, Bella." Angela greeted warmly. "Hi Angela, hi Ben," I grinned.

I looked over Angela's shoulder to see Jessica lumbering up towards our table. Even since I started acting 'cooky', as Jessica says, she stopped hanging out with me. I suppose it would ruin her reputation to be found hanging out with a 'freak' like myself. I suppose I can't really blame her, though. She came to a stop at our table and sat down across from me.

"So..." she started, obviously expecting something.

"What?" I asked lamely, though inside I really was curious. She rose her eyebrows.

"You and Ron Cullen!" she thundered. The whole cafeteria quieted down for a second and stared at the two of us.

_Can you be anymore __**louder**__?!_

I instantly frowned and furrowed my eyebrows. "You certainly got over Edward pretty quickly after Ron showed up." She remarked. Angela gasped, her eyes widening. I cringed and resisted the urge to scream out loud and slap Jessica, ignoring the waves of pain crashing into my chest.

"We...We're just friends, nothing more. I'm sorry Angela, I gotta go." I choked out, quickly getting up and leaving the cafeteria. Choking back tears, I brusquely walked down the halls and to my locker, grabbing my bag and novel before heading outside. I walked behind the school and into the forest surrounding it, unsure of what I would find.

_I'm not the most dangerous thing out there..._

His voice reminded me as I stumbled through the forest. It had been so long since I had heard his voice, and that one miserable sob broke through. I stopped and sat down on a log, completely breaking down. Everything that had happened recently has just been too much to handle. I stuffed my head in my hands and let everything out. All the pain, all the memories, everything.

_My name is Edward Cullen..._

_Do I dazzle you?_

Oh God, no, please don't leave me again...

_...I won't_.

Bella, I don't want you to come with me.

It will be as if I never existed.

I half laughed, half sobbed a bitter, harsh laugh. "**Stupid**, _Shiny Volvo _owner..." I sobbed out, getting up off the ground and walking deeper into the forest. Slowly but surely, the trees started to thin out. I stopped at the very edge of the trees, peering out into the clearing.

Though it was completely different, the clearing still reminded me of the meadow. Though smaller, wildflowers were scattered about, as well as a few lone trees. Slowly, cautiously, I walked into the clearing and sat down under one of the smaller trees, overlooking most of the meadow.

I opened up the novel to where I had left off at, chapter 4. Among other things, reading was one of the things that helped calm me down. In the distance, a twig snapped and a feral growl sounded, indicating that I was no longer alone in this clearing.

The creature started moving out of the shadows, and started reflecting the sunlight.

_Vampire_.

I moved my eyes to the vampire's face and immediately froze. There, standing in all his tall, bronze-haired glory, was the one man I never thought I'd see again. He smiled diabolically and walked forward agonizingly slow. Something seemed off about him, I had realized immediately.

"Edward?" I breathed, reaching one shaking arm out towards him. He walked even further out into the clearing, the sun ricocheting off his skin.

He grinned even wider, until he wasn't even smiling, just baring his teeth. He tilted his head to the right and smiled a small, condescending smile. "Hello, Bella." He murmured, taking one more step forward.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: *Snickers* Edward has issues... Hah, I know, it's been a while. Sorry. XD And that cliffy was mean... Sorry again.**

**Review, and I shall give you a preview of the next chapter, because I know you all absolutely LOVE my cliffies... Also, I won't be able to respond to any of your reviews until later, because I am extremely busy tonight and I'll be getting off soon. Truthfully, the only reason I came on was to post this chapter, and drive all of you insane with this cliffhanger.**


	11. Secrets and Jelousy

**Okay, so here's the next chapter of LCBD! I'm am so sorry for the wait, I was going through horrid writer's block, and I was always playing catch up in school, leaving me with no time to write. So please, don't stone me to death, or anything. Oh, and a big congrats to Topaz Eyed Lullaby and KK1994. To see what I'm talking about, go back to the last chapter and read the beginning AN CAREFULLY. Because they actually read the full AN, they got a two-page preview of this chapter. Waaay before any of you got to read it. *Cackles***

**Well, onward with the read!**

Chapter 11: Secrets and Jealousy

This Edward looked different than my hallucinatory Edwards, almost taller. I guess it had been too long without him, seeing as my hallucinations paid no justice to the real him. At the same time, it absolutely killed me to see him again, knowing that all he was going to do was leave again. After all, he probably just came to make sure his toy was still alive.

I looked up and watched him closely, voicing my opinion.

"Why are you here, Edward?" I asked unemotionally. _That's right, Bella, play it cool. Don't let him see how much he's hurt you. _I convinced myself.

He looked up to the sky and shrugged sheepishly. "Well, I felt guilty about leaving you alone. I still love and care for you, even if it's just in a platonic way."

_...Ouch._

Flinching, I looked down and nodded, holding back tears.

"Come on, you had better get back to school. Lunch period is almost over, and I am certain you don't want to be late." He said.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I noticed that for some reason, his voice was wrong. A lilt had suddenly developed that I had never noticed before. I shrugged it off, using the excuse that his extended absence had made him seem different. I followed him through the forest, back towards the school. Abruptly, he turned towards me and told me he'd see me later, swiftly disappearing into thin air.

As I walked towards History, I thought out Edward's abrupt arrival. Despite his promises, he still reappeared into my life. His arrival still didn't make any sense to me. He truly did not care for me, considering I could see right through his lie. He was acting rather strangely, nothing like the Edward I had once known. Furthermore, what would this mean for the relationship between Ron, Alice and I? I knew Ron and Edward has a bad past, but I prayed that this wouldn't put a rift in our friendship. It's not like Edward even likes me, anyways.

Sighing sadly, I walked into the History classroom and prepared myself for another monotonous lesson about the early 1900's. Class flew by quickly, and soon I found myself sitting in the cab of my truck, hyperventilating. I had no idea what I was going to find when I got home. Would _he_ be waiting in my room?

_No! That's ridiculous! He probably doesn't want anything to do with you..._

_But he did say he'd see you later..._ the romance-sick side of my mind argued back.

Shaking my head, I bit back my fears and drove home. I got out of my truck and walked up to the porch, where I was met with a shell-shocked Alice and a furious Ron. He was pacing up and down the porch, cursing under his breath.

"If you keep pacing like that you're going to wear holes in the porch floor." I said quietly.

Ron stopped suddenly and looked up at me, his eyes aflame with rage. "Bella," he started, surprisingly calm.

"What happened today?" he asked with tight eyes.

I looked at my feet before answering. "During lunch period, I went out for a bit to read. Then, I met _him_ again. He-he said he just felt guilty, but he was going to stay, to watch over me." I whimpered, my lip quivering.

Ron growled fiercely and turned, slamming his fist against the porch railing. Sure enough, it left a dent.

"I'm sorry, Ron, I didn't mean to get you mad. Please, don't leave." I whispered pathetically.

He turned back towards me, his eyes widening. He took a step forward and gently grabbed my shoulders, holding me close. "Oh, no, Bella, no, you didn't make me mad. I just, I don't like seeing you hurt," he averted his eyes from mine.

"...Or at least, again. I should beat the crumbs out of him for what he did to you." he added, shaking his head. He gathered me in a firm but gentle hug.

"And I will never, _ever_ leave you." he whispered.

Ron let go of me and looked towards the backyard, where the forest began. He sighed roughly. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear…" Ron hissed angrily as Edward walked out of the woods casually. He held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Relax. It's not like I'm going to _eat _her." his head tilted to the side and he grinned surreptitiously.

"After all, that's _your _job, isn't it, Ron?" Edward's topaz eyes sparkled mischievously as he egged Ron on.

Ron growled and clenched his fists, along with his jaw. "It's not like that. _You _of all people should know that." Ron emphasized furiously.

"What are you doing here, anyways?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "I came to make sure _my _Bella was okay." he said softly. Ron snarled, Alice rose her eyebrows and I gasped.

_His Bella? Since when does he still want a claim on me? It's not like he wants me… Maybe I truly am just a possession to him._

Alice turned to me and smiled apologetically. "Well, as much as I'd like to stay, I'd better go home. Coming, Ron?" she asked.

_They're not going to leave me home all alone, are they?! _But, to my relief, Ron shook his head stiffly. Edward shrugged as Alice left.

"I was thinking of re-enrolling into high school here. I have a feeling I'll be staying for a while before leaving again." he said quietly. I flinched as I thought of him leaving again.

_That certainly was going to hurt…_

As if reading my mind, **((And, for the fifteenth time, he CAN'T. No one can. ;))) **Edward stepped closer and put his arm around my waist. "You know it's for your own good, Bella. You're just no good around me. And you're not safe, either." he said softly. Ron growled angrily and looked pointedly at Edward's arm around my waist. Edward rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time today.

"You know that's not true!" I argued.

"I _am _a danger magnet, and I attract vampires like dogs attract fleas!" He sighed exasperatingly, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Like I said before, Bella, you're just not good for me, and I'm not good for you." he said, as if speaking to a five year old.

Ron hissed and stepped up against Edward, looking him in the eyes. In any other situation that would've been humorous, seeing as Edward was a full head taller than Ron. When comparing them, Ron almost looked like a midget.

"I can't believe you!" Ron growled angrily.

"No, _I _can't believe _you_! Especially with what you've done!" Edward snarled back, just as fiercely.

"What are you, jealous or something?" Edward asked incredulously.

_What are they talking about? Clearly they can't be talking about me…_

I groaned, confused, and looked at my feet. "Once you two have grown up and are down with your brotherly spat, feel free to join me inside." I said angrily, turning around and stomping up the porch stairs. I went straight to my room and turned my ipod on, tuning everything else out.

**Third Person POV ((For Just A Sec, Bare With Me…))**

Immediately after Bella went inside, the vampire slammed his brother up against the wall, grabbing him by the front of his shirt.

"How could you!" he roared angrily at the top of his lungs.

"How could _I_?!" the older vampire scoffed.

"How could you be toying with her emotions like this! She's just an eighteen year old human!"

"At least _I _came back to my human, and told the truth!"

After a few minutes, the other vampire sighed and shook his head. The older vampire smirked at this, for he knew he had found the target spot in his brother.

"Whatever, I'm going back to the house. I take it you'll be staying here?"

The blonde vampire grunted in reply before heading inside Bella's house, while his brother ran off back into the woods. _If there was a list containing the world's stupidest, most idiotic vampires, I would definitely be in the top ten… _Ron groaned to himself as he headed upstairs.

**BPOV**

I sat on my bed, listening to my music, aggravated. Renee was right, boys certainly are a pain. What was Edward talking about, anyways? Why in the world would Ron be jealous? He knew that whatever flame had once burned between Edward and I was unfortunately long distinguished, at least for him, it was. What was up with Edward's behaviour, too? Something big must've happened while he was gone that changed him for the worst.

_Where was the Edward I once knew?_

I have to admit, it was strange, being able to say his name and talk about him so easily. Perhaps it was just because he was here. As long as I could see him, it didn't matter that we weren't together, or that he didn't love me anymore.

_What a lie…_

Shaking my head miserably, I let one silent tear cascade down my face. I clearly knew I was lying to myself. Every minute, of every hour, of every day just knowing that was bound to kill me.

Sure, I still loved Edward, but at the same time, I'm cursing him to hell. I was just starting to get better, starting to trust again, then he comes back, bringing all the pain with him. How could I possibly forgive him for that? After all, Ron and I could have probably become more… Ron probably wouldn't want me anymore, though, now that Edward was back. He probably thinks of me as a lost cause… The tears continued to silently fall, but I just dealt with it hopelessly.

I heard someone slip quietly through my door, and I looked up, seeing Ron. His stiff posture relaxed as soon as he saw me, and his eyes softened. He sat next to me on the bed and gently wiped away the tears.

"Bella, I'm so sorry about earlier…" he trailed off. I just nodded.

"S'alright, really." I whimpered, looking down. Instantly, I felt two fingers coaxing my chin up.

My eyes met his smouldering dark brown ones. "It's not alright, Bella." he said tensely, still whispering.

"Is this because of _him…_" he nodded toward the window, "…Or me?" he asked gently. I whimpered and closed my eyes, shaking my head.

"All of those things he said…" I stuttered, sobbing. I felt Ron lean forward as he pulled me into his arms, rocking me back and forth. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and surprisingly, I _liked _it.

I shook my head and focused on my hands suddenly. Nothing was making sense anymore. The one vampire who I thought I could always trust had turned his back on me completely. Ron, the random vampire who just showed up in my life, the one I never thought I'd be able to trust, is suddenly my best friend. It was the one vampire who I would never expect to even give a care about me, the one who happened to come across me when _hunting humans_, was really caring about me, and helping me. I surprised myself when I even trusted Ron in the first place. My senses were telling me to get the heck away from him, yet, instead, I embraced him, and trusted him.

_Fate surely is acting out for me…_

"It's not like him to do something like that… What happened to him?" I whimpered out. Ron grimaced and an unfathomable expression shone in his eyes.

"I don't know Bella, but I'll try to find out, I promise you." He said, determined. He put his chin on my head and sighed. "He's not worth it." Shockingly, he leaned down and kissed my cheek. "Edward doesn't deserve this – neither do I, for that matter – to know such a beautiful woman like you," He chuckled suddenly, though it sounded strained, and somewhat pained. "Let alone be one of her best friends." He sighed again and put his chin back on the top of my head.

"You know, Bella, he's a real asshat." Ron said loudly, the curse word sounding foreign coming from his old-fashioned voice. I gawked at him, surprised. He looked down toward me suddenly and smirked, though his eyes were serious.

"What? Your time's language is quite …colourful, and easy to pick up." He shrugged. "Plus, the word suits him." Ron laughed and I smiled lightly. This time, Ron smiled genuinely and held me at arm's length, pretending to study me. "There, that's better. You should be happy." He said softly.

I snuggled into Ron's chest and fell asleep, with him singing me to sleep. What seemed like seconds later Ron was gently whispering in my ear.

"Come on, Bella, Charlie's going to be home in a few minutes, I need to leave now."

I clutched tighter to him, groaning. He chuckled and kissed my forehead while slinking out of my arms, making me open my eyes immediately.

"Why do you do that?" I asked sleepily. He cocked one eyebrow.

"Do what?"

"Kiss me like that!"

"Oh," he said sadly, frowning. "Well, for one, I care about you, and, err, I want to _protect_ you."

I frowned, matching his expression. The way he said _protect _held double meaning.

_He wasn't really possessive of me too, was he? Well, didn't Edward say…?_

"Oh." I said anticlimactically. _He couldn't possibly be…_

"Bella?" Ron asked cautiously, stepping forward and putting a cold hand on my arm. "What epiphany have you had now?" he said playfully.

I shook my head furiously and looked into Ron's eyes. "Ron, Edward wasn't right, was he? You're not really jealous, are you?" I asked disbelievingly. His behaviour really didn't make any sense. He looked away, sighing angrily and running a hand through his messy blonde hair.

"Bella-" he had started, but I cut him off quickly, having a feeling I knew what he was going to say.

"Please, Ron, just tell me the truth. I've lived most of my life here in Forks being lied to, and as of now, I'm sick of being lied to." I said tiredly. As I said this, it was as if I had awakened an emotion in Ron, as his eyes widened with shame.

"Trust me when I say this Bella, if you knew of what I had done, or what I am doing right now, you wouldn't want to be my friend, in fact, you'd probably hate me." he shook his head sadly, leaning on the windowsill.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that at some point, everyone makes mistakes, and I've learned that the hard way. I'm so sorry, Isabella." He leaned in once more, giving me a kiss on the cheek, before ducking out the window and into the darkness.

**RPOV (…I'm trying…)**

I stealthily moved through the looming darkness of the forest, thinking back to all of the mistakes I have made during my days as a vampire. Luckily, Bella was oblivious of my past and the secrets it held, for the most part. Hopefully, those secrets will stay hidden, as long as my fruitcake of a brother doesn't do anything stupid.

I remember one of the very first conversations I had with her; more specifically when she had asked about my past. I had told her exactly what I did; I had hurt someone, and I hurt them terribly. What she didn't know is that I didn't just hurt the one I loved, I emotionally _killed _her. Now, my brother is doing the exact same thing, and to the exact same person, _again._ After all, we _are _one in the same. I guess it's true what they say…

_Like brother like brother…_

**AN: Ugh, I'm sorry about the ending… Could this chapter get any more awkward? :/ Well, there's chapter 11! Hope you enjoyed it! I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can, seeing as school is finally over and my writer's block seems to have finally ended. As always, review equals preview!**


	12. Blast From The Past

**Hey guys! Okay, so I'm sorry this is a little, okay, maybe REALLY late, but these last two chapters (meaning chapters 11 + 12, I'm not done with the story yet (:) were just really tough to write for me, not to mention I had horrible writer's block. Oh, and please be kind, my beta seems to be having some technical issues with DocX, so at this moment, this chapter is unfortunately unbeta'd, and the only eyes that have seen it are my own, since no one else in my family is willing to read 13 pages of my writing. xD**

**Anywho, hopefully y'all will find this chapter to be up to your expectations. From here on out, writing the rest if the chapters will be smooth sailing. I've already got a start on chapter 13. (:**

**PS: Some people have asked me about whether or not the rest of the Cullens will be coming in soon. And, I'm sorry to say, they won't be coming in for a couple more chapters. Sorry, but that's just the way I've written out the story and plot. Bringing in the rest of them will destroy the whole plot for now… You'll see why. ;)**

* * *

_Previously:_

_"Now, my brother is doing the exact same thing, and to the exact same person, again. After all, we are one in the same. I guess it's true what they say…_

_**Like brother, like brother...**"_

* * *

Chapter 12: Blast From The Past

* * *

**Edward POV**

**

* * *

  
**

Alice and my brother both watched me carefully as I paced a hole into our living room floor angrily.

"What have I done!?" I moaned agonizingly, clutching at my hair.

"Yes, what _have _you done?" my brother remarked coldly from his chair. I glared at him angrily.

"It's not like you've done anything to help!" I growled back at him.

"On the contrary, I have." he replied calmly. By this time, Alice had straightened up and was listening to our argument warily, mentally preparing herself if a physical fight occurred.

_Careful, Edward… _She warned. Taking her advice, I tried calming myself down.

"Well then, _dearest brother_, enlighten me."

"Simple. I'm helping her get _over _you. You're just getting her in deeper. End of conversation." he said calmly before getting out of his seat and leaving.

I sat down in the chair next to Alice. "I don't know what to do, Alice. It's hopeless." I whispered brokenly to my sister.

"Just help her, Edward. That's all you can do."

"I'm trying, Alice, I'm _trying_." I moaned, shaking my head.

_We know, Edward, we know. And you know what you have to do._

I nodded without saying anything, silently thanking Alice before heading in the same direction that my twin had headed in earlier.

* * *

**Bella POV**

**

* * *

  
**

One slow, agonizing week had gone by since Edward's return. From the outside, everything looked completely normal. Ron, Alice and I returned to school, while Edward stayed in hiding, away from public. Of course, a lot of issues have been quite rocky between Ron and Edward…

The four of us were sitting in the Cullen family living room silently, the air surrounding us tense. I drummed my fingernails on the top of their coffee table impatiently.

"Oh, for Pete's sake, I thought we already got past the tense atmospheres!" I exploded angrily, slamming my hand down on the table.

All three Cullens turned to look at me, shock overtaking all of their facial features.

_I can't believe I just did that!_

I blushed and bit my lip, averting my gaze. For the next few minutes, we all quickly fell into the same uncomfortable, tense silence as before. That is, until Edward triggered hurricane Ron.

What he said next completely shocked all of us, also sending Ron into a rage-fueled fury.

"I was thinking of re-enrolling into Forks High School, you know, just to pass some time while I'm here," he told the three of us nonchalantly.

I looked up immediately, panicked. Him? Go back to school? That would ruin Ron's whole excuse for staying here! And, as much as I loved Edward, Ron was quickly becoming one of my closest friends I had, aside from Alice. _God knows why… _

Before Alice or I could say anything, we found ourselves in the eye of _Hurricane Ron_. Abruptly yet furiously, he stood up, forcing the two-person love seat he was sitting on to skid halfway across the living room, crashing into the far wall.

"What!? _**NO! **_Are you seriously that much of an _**IDIOT!? **_That would compromise our whole plan! You're supposed to be in ENGLAND!" Ron glared into Edward's gold eyes, Edward holding his gaze evenly. It was gold on light brown, or fire versus earth.

It was creepy how alike they looked when they were standing next to each other. It was easy to understand why so many people had mistaken Ron for Edward. If it wasn't for the blonde hair, contacts and slight height difference, Ron could've acted as Edward's carbon copy.

_How ironic. _**(Please don't ask me what's ironic, if you don't know what is, then you'll never figure it out by this point. XD No offence or anything. (: )**

"Well, that's simple. You don't belong here." Edward stated calmly.

Ron hissed angrily. "And like _you _do?" He challenged Edward.

"Go to hell, _Ronald_." Edward sneered. Ron flinched.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm already there," he growled, pain lacing his every word. Edward snorted.

"If you think this is hell, just wait-" He had started, but Alice intervened, being the little peacekeeper she is.

"Okay, thank you for that little _Blast From The Past_," she said bitterly, "I'd rather we don't experience that again, and I think Bella would appreciate that as well."

_Alice, you're my hero…_

Ron turned to me, startled.

_Apparently someone forgot there were others in the room…_

Edward just groaned before leaving the room. I frowned as I watched him slam the front door, shaking the whole house.

"Sorry, Bella," Ron said, seemingly embarrassed. I shrugged, and he left shortly after that, heading upstairs. Shuddering, I looked towards Alice.

"Just sibling rivalry, Bella, don't worry." She muttered.

"Are they always this bad?"

Alice just snickered and shook her head. "Honestly? This wasn't even a _real _fight. You should see when they're actually at it," she paused for a minute, frowning. "Actually, you really _shouldn't. _I don't think they'd like that too much…" she chuckled lightly. "After all, if you thought that was bad, try living with those _nightmares _for years on end. That's why we don't bring up that part of our past, let alone tell anyone about it, it can be embarrassing. I was about to kick one of them out."

A faint, yet offended _'Hey!' _could be heard from upstairs. Alice and I both laughed. "Sorry, Ron, but it's true!" Alice giggled. From there on, Alice and I both talked until Ron came back downstairs. He walked down the stairs with a small jacket in his hands, slowly heading for the living room.

"Hey Bella, it's getting late. I can give you a ride home now," he said, clearly in a much better mood. I had a feeling that the fact that Edward still hadn't returned had something to do with that.

I nodded and grinned, saying a quick and quiet goodbye to Alice. We hopped in the Mercedes, the car that Alice had driven to Forks, leaving me to wonder what Carlisle was using for transportation.

_I wonder why we didn't just take the Volvo…_

As if reading my mind, Ron spoke up. "I had a feeling Edward will want to take his Volvo back…" Ron said, wrinkling his nose and muttering under his breath.

"Oh." I said quietly. "I suppose that makes sense."

Ron nodded his head and flicked on the radio. Immediately, incoherent rap music blasted from the speakers, making me jump. He rolled his eyes at the music and shook his head in disapproval before changing the station. Boys Like Girls' _Hero/Heroine _immediately took its place.

"How _ironic,_" Ron laughed bitterly before shutting the radio off. **(Huh. It would seem all of my characters find every little detail to be ironic. I feel like asking them if they even know what ironic means… xD Err, never mind, just keep reading…)**

Both Ron and I sat in an awkward silence as he drove past Main Street. I stared out the window blankly, vaguely aware of the passing blur of street lights. Sooner than later, the street lights started thinning out, a surefire sign that we were outside of downtown Forks and approaching my home.

Ron started humming tunelessly and tapping on the steering wheel as he turned onto the street. I turned to look at him, staring at him curiously. He just looked at me from the corner of his eye and smiled slyly. I blushed, embarrassed that he caught me staring, but he just chuckled happily.

"Same old Bella," he murmured softly, almost so quietly that I could barely hear him.

By the time I looked back out the window, the car had jetted to a stop and we had arrived at the front of the house.

When I looked back at Ron, he had his torso turned towards me and was smiling warmly. I grinned back just as happily.

"So…" I trailed off.

"So?" Ron asked me, repeating my phrase, raising his eyebrow.

"Thanks for the ride, Ron. And please, try to behave, don't let Edward get to you." I answered.

Ron shrugged carelessly. "No problem, though I can't make any promises. After all, a little competition can be healthy." he smirked, leaning over and ruffling my hair playfully.

_What? Competition?_

"What? Ron, what are you talking about? You know just as well as I know that there _is _no competition! Remember what Edward said? I _really _don't think he likes me anymore!" I exclaimed sadly.

Ron shook his head slowly and chuckled a dark, humourless laugh. "Oh boy…" he breathed quietly. "See, Bella, unlike some people, Edward is a…" he hesitated for a moment, seeming to have problems talking about Edward as a civilized vampire. "…he's a _closed book_. He has some err, _problems _with expressing his _real_ feelings. He may seem, uh, _different_, but that's because he's working on fixing some _issues _of his." Ron finished off awkwardly.

I frowned, confused, as Ron sighed and looked out the window. Once again, we found ourselves wrapped in an awkward bubble of silence. Abruptly, Ron turned his head towards me and smirked mischievously.

"And regardless," he began, breaking the silence, "for a beautiful woman like you, it's _impossible _for there _not _to be competition." Ron finished smugly. His eyes flashed to my lips, and he leaned down. Very swiftly he veered to the left, and kissed my cheek.

_Cue the blushing…_

Before Ron leaned away, he playfully ruffled my bangs again. "Trust me on this, Bella. Ever seen Newton? Maybe Crowley? Or perhaps Yorkie?" he smiled knowingly. I smiled deviously before sighing overdramatically. I put my hand over my heart and pretended to sigh wistfully.

"Oh, Eric, how could I _possibly _forget him?" I said mockingly. Ron growled and I laughed.

"Well, let's face it, the _real _competition here truly is only between Edward and I," Ron stated, laughing and shaking his head at some sort of inside joke. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, just as he had done earlier. I pulled away quickly, slightly flushed, and opened the car door.

Ron leaned over and grinned. "So I'll see you at school tomorrow?" he asked. I grinned back and nodded.

"Bright and early," I stated.

"Bright and early," he agreed with a nod.

"Bye, Ron, thanks for the ride," I said softly, stepping out and away from the car, closing the door. He smiled and started the car, the Mercedes purring to life.

"Bye, Bella," he said quietly before driving away.

I watched until the car turned the corner befor eturning around and heading inside. Charlie was already asleep, so I took it as my que to head upstairs and straight to bed. I walked into my room and immediately slammed the window shut, locking it. If any of the vampires I knew had respect for me, they would know that I do not want anyone in my room tonight.

Sighing with content, I grabbed my bag of toiletries and night clothes and walked across the hallway to the bathroom. Taking a quick shower, the warm water ran over my body, loosening all the tight knots I had earned from the stress, relaxing my body and erasing all of the tension.

I ran the towel through my hair, leaving it partially dried as I headed back to my room, clad in my worn out t-shirt and sweatpants. I curled up under the sheets and fell asleep, quickly descending into dreamland.

The dream I was having was almost an exact replica of the dream I had a year ago, except in place of Jacob was Ron. Edward was standing at the end of the path, Ron in front of me. Edward's eyes were a sickening pitch black, as they were the first day I had met him. The only difference was that this time there was a mischievous, cruel glint to them.

He cocked his head to the side and grinned as he did that day in the meadow, baring his teeth. I gasped as I caught the intensity of his cold glare. It was at that moment that I realized I had no actual control of my body. I was a mere spectator.

Ron turned halfway towards me, as if he was trying to keep an eye on both Edward and myself. His eyes held nothing but concern, and they were a light gold instead of the brown or crimson I was accustomed to.

"Don't listen to him, Bella, _please_, just don't listen to him!" Ron begged.

Dream Edward chuckled darkly, but said nothing, causing Ron to turn back towards him. Still, Edward remained silent, but held out his hand, curling and uncurling his fingers, challenging Ron.

I watched on helplessly and Ron accepted his challenge, crouching down and growling towards the black-eyed Edward. I screamed for both Ron and Edward as Ron crashed into Edward, taking a step forward. Instead of the horrid thundering boom that was normally heard when one vampire hit another, a ghostly silence fell over the clearing we were standing in, and Ron went right through Edward, and if he himself were transparent, and disappeared.

A few moments later, Edward clutched his head in his hands, his eyes flashing between gold and black and back again. The cruel glint in his eyes disappeared and reappeared over again as he fought his mental battle. He shook his head furiously, still clutching at his hair before he completely keeled over. He looked up helplessly, catching my eyes with his light gold ones.

His chest heaved up and down as he panted, as if he was exhausted from the mental fight. He shook his head sadly before closing his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered painfully, Ron's voice echoing faintly behind him. Grimacing, Edward opened his eyes again. They returned to the flat black that they were before. The deep, black holes locked onto mine once more, as he stared intensely at me, begging for me to understand and put this puzzle together.

He let out one low growl, though instead of it being aggressive, it was helpless, as if he were pleading for help rather than getting ready to attack me. He let out one last, painful moan, before collapsing to the ground, curling into a fetal position.

I screamed when he fell, trying to run to him, but my limbs were still locked into place. I looked on with horror-filled eyes as his body slowly deteriorated into ash before blowing away with the wind.

I woke up with a start, breathing heavily as I nearly slammed my head into the headboard of my bed. Ouch.

_At least I didn't scream…_

I sat up and leaned against the headboard, trying to gain back my bearings. Squinting against the suffocating darkness, I glanced over to the alarm clock, trying to see what time it was.

_3 AM. Just wonderful._

I stared sleepily at the wall for the next few minutes, trying to will myself back to sleep, hopefully a dreamless one. Three light taps to my window startled me, waking me completely from my dream-like state. **(Meh??? I dunno… xD)**

"Stupid, pain-in-the-ass intruding vampires keeping me awake at this ungodly hour." I grumbled to myself incoherently. I stared stupidly at the window for a few minutes before hearing a small, impatient sigh from outside the window.

_Oh, right. I need to open the window for said vampire to come in. Stupid me._

Scowling at the window for a second longer, I lifted the blinds and opened the window, too sleepy to even care who the vampire was. It could've been Laurent or Victoria, bent on killing me for revenge, but I was too annoyed to care. **(Bella, honestly, not the smartest thing to do right now… xD)**

I glared at the vampire as it swiftly entered my room, without a single thud. I kept my glare on him as he turned to look at me, the moonlight revealing some of his masculine features. His face was still a large shadow.

"Woah, scary kitten!" he teased, pretending to cower. I grinned the minute he spoke.

"Oh, Ron! I didn't know it was you!" I whispered.

"Well now, that seriously frightens me, knowing that you'd open your window to any vampire without knowing who they are first. We'll have to work on that." he grinned and patted my head.

"Hey, it's not everyday a vampire actually knock before entering my bedroom. You're a first!" I retorted, pouting. He just laughed and shook his head.

"I swear, you are completely one of a kind," he grinned, steering me towards the edge of my bed, sitting me down. He sat beside me, his grin dropping as he looked serious.

"Anyways, the reason I came is because Alice had a vision of your nightmare. Well, not your nightmare, but you having it… Ugh, you get the point." he shook his head, confused. "So, the minute she …told me about it, I ran over here. I'm sorry I'm a bit late." Ron frowned and gathered me in his arms, rocking me.

"You should know, I absolutely hate it when you have those. I really wish you weren't alone." Ron had whispered the last part, looking away and staring out the window while he ran a hand through his hair. He turned back to me, the moonlight casting a glow over his face, adding a shine to his brown eyes.

_Wait… Brown eyes? That reminds me…_

"Ron?"

"Mmhm?

"I was wondering, why do you continue to wear the brown contacts even away from the public?"

Immediately he ducked his head and looked at his hands, shrugging indifferently.

"It's just …_easier_." he said shortly, signalling the end of this topic.

"Oh." was my _brilliant _reply. "Thanks, Ron." that definitely made him look up.

"For what?" he asked incredulously.

"For coming tonight…and seeing if I was alright. It means so much to me."

Ron grinned warmly and held my hand gently. "Like I said before, Bella, I hate seeing you go through this." he said intensely, as though his words held deeper meaning.

A minute of silence went between the two of us before Ron cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, I guess I'll go now…" he said somewhat sadly, heading toward the window.

"Wait!" I called out quickly. He turned back around towards me.

"Just-just stay for tonight, please?" I whispered hopefully.

He smiled softly again, his smile lighting up my world once more. Ron walked away from the window and towards me.

"For you, anything." he whispered, kissing me on the forehead and sitting down in the rocking chair.

"Thank you, Ron. For everything." I whispered once more before falling asleep into a dreamless heaven.

* * *

**AN: So, as you've seen in this chapter, Edward's bipolar and deserves to be admitted into a psych ward, and Ron has serious temper issues and is prepared for competition. Sweet… xD *Huffs* Holy crap… This was one tuffy of a chapter to write, I'll tell you that. It went in a whole different direction than it was originally going to go in… And that's actually good. (:**

**And, just in case you're wondering, there's much more Edward POV's to come, especially in the next chapter.**

**

* * *

  
**

**As usual, review=preview!**

**

* * *

  
**

**Oh, right, and... *Points to poll* VOTE or DIE!!! (Sorry, eh, desperate times call for desperate measures... It's not too late for that poll, as well.)**

**

* * *

  
**


	13. Trickery

* * *

**So, here's the next chapter of LCBD! Hope you enjoy it… Once again, sorry about the wait, but I gotta be honest, I'm a HORRIBLE procrastinator. XD And, I realize Edward is majorly OOC, but it's all part of the plot. Forewarning: This chapter is not for the lighthearted. As promised, I won't be committing Edward anytime soon… :P It's extremely cruel… And, as usual, this chapter is unbeta'd, so forgive any grammatical errors, please. Now, without further adieu…**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 13: Trickery

"_Thank you, Ron. For everything." I whispered once more before falling asleep into a dreamless heaven._

_

* * *

  
_

**Edward POV**

Edward sat in silence, watching as the beautiful Bella and that other _insipid male creature _known as his _brother_ conversed. Just thinking about what the pair could be talking about made the blood flowing through his veins boil and his empty stomach churn. Of course, he could have always eavesdropped or looked into the other vampire's mind, but he _was _raised better than that.

He just wished that he could run over there and take Bella away, away from the clutches of his brother. But, he knew that by doing such a thing, he would seriously hurt Bella, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He just wished he never started this mess. Edward truly was a _really _stupid vampire.

_And jealous, too._

_Jealous? That is a preposterous thought! _The other side of himself argued.

_Yet, it's the only option left that makes sense…_

_Ugh._

Sighing hopelessly, Edward turned away from the glass window of the Cullen home and proceeded towards the living room, where Alice was conveniently sitting. He seriously needed some advice. At that moment, Alice glanced up from her book.

"Ugh! You _again!?_" she groaned exasperatingly, slamming her book closed and putting it on the coffee table in front of her. Edward grinned sheepishly and took a seat on the couch across from her.

"Hello, Alice."

"Hello, _brother dearest._" she replied back sarcastically. "Well, I know you want my advice on something, so spill already!"

"I need some advice for Bella…"

"Oh, yeah, I know, you really screwed up there, Edward." she interrupted. "But sure, I'll help, anything for my _second_ favourite brother."

"Second favourite?"

"Mhm," she nodded her head, "we all know I like _Ron _best." she smirked. Edward chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

"So, I was wondering if you had any advice on how I would be able to keep Bella out of our brother's evil clutches."

"_Evil clutches?_" Alice snorted. "Interesting word choice there, Edward, but you see, you're not helping by acting so hostile towards _him_, and Bella doesn't know if she can trust you yet. She needs time." Alice said softly.

Edward nodded somberly. "Thanks, Alice, for all your help." he said softly.

_Now I know exactly what I need to do, and I'll go through with it, no matter what…_

_

* * *

  
_

**Bella POV**

A few weeks had gone by since my last nightmare and Ron's visit. Ever since then, the relationship between the Cullen brothers has not improved. If anything, all it had done was gotten worse.

All it took was Ron to say something, and Edward would comment or retort back what seemed like something innocent, causing Ron to verbally explode to his own extent. It was almost as if Edward was secretly taunting Ron through phrases and words that help deeper meaning.

Whenever I approached Alice with the topic of Ron and Edward, she'd just shrug the question off innocently, and blame these fights on "brotherly spats," as she had called them. Even with Alice _trying _to reassure me, I still couldn't accept the fact that these fights were just sibling rivalry. A feeling deep inside me, paired with the despairing look in Alice's eyes, told me that there was more to this than sibling rivalry. Possibly _much _more.

Sometimes the fights that broke out were severe enough that Alice had to intervene between the hostile vampires before these fights turned physical. Regardless of the severity, the fights _always _ended with death glares, guttural snarls and growls.

It was almost as if they were a major time bomb just waiting to go off.

_What I didn't realize was that this day would come sooner than expected…_

The only positive side to this was that Ron and I had become even more closer than I thought I could ever become with another person. Very quickly he went from being a stranger, to an acquaintance and then to a best friend. In a way, he reminded me of how Edward used to treat me _before_, except a lot more happier, laid back and optimistic. Speaking of Ron…

"Bella?"

I turned around, quickly spotting the blonde head of one of my favourite vampires. Ron quickly maneuvered his way through the crowded cafeteria, stopping to take a seat beside me.

Alice was away today, as she decided to have a one-on-one _chat_ with Edward, giving him a 'stern talking to,' as she liked to call it. As promised, Edward had kept out of the vicinity of the school grounds, and so far, everything had gone smoothly.

"Hey Ron." I greeted unenthusiastically, listening to the grating squeal of the chair against the floor and he pulled it closer to the table.

He stared intently at me for a minute, regarding my face, before frowning. "You seem a little down today, Bella. Is something wrong?" Ron asked skeptically.

I just stared at him and shrugged in response, sighing.

"Nothing's more wrong than it ever is these days, I would suppose," I responded plainly. I stared blankly at my untouched plate of cold cafeteria food, better known as _Plate A La Crap_, as Ron had taken to calling it.

Ron sighed, and I felt his cold hand hover over mine before he gave it a gentle squeeze.

"You know," he mused quietly, pondering over something, "things can only get better from here."

I looked up at him now, realizing that he was looking down at me with concern, though hope also glittered his eyes.

"Thanks, Ron," I whispered back, returning his earlier gesture by squeezing his hand and smiling. He shook his head and grinned back at me right before the bell rang, leaving us to head to our next class.

He swiftly picked up the Styrofoam plate of food, dumping it in the black trash receptacle. He returned and gently grabbed my hand, lugging me towards our fifth period History class. With his quick walking, we had luckily made it to the class just as the bell rang.

As usual, we sat together in the last rows of desks as the teacher droned on about the struggles of the early 20th century, no doubt a time period that the vampires I knew had lived through. For the beginning of the class, I sat still, half focused on the lecture and half focused on tracing the grain of the wood in the desk. I glanced from the corner of my eye, looking at Ron. He, too, was staring at the desk with feigned interest.

_It's a miracle he hasn't caught on to me staring at him like this…_

But, speaking too soon, Ron looked towards me and winked. He gestured minutely towards the teacher with his head, rolling his eyes and pretending to yawn. I silently laughed and shook my head while he smiled wryly.

I turned my attention back to the teacher, this time listening as he started on a new topic of the 1900s.

"So, by early 1918, the returning Navy Soldiers had brought the aggressive H1N1 virus to the US, where it ravaged through major cities, taking down whole families and disrupting all sorts of public events and services. It was first noticed in Spain, the neutral and uncensored country during the World War. The flu gained quick public attention because of this, giving it its name, the _Spanish Influenza_."

For some reason, just hearing that tiny bit of information, just hearing about the Spanish Influenza had unlocked something in me, and flashback upon flashback hit me like a wrecking ball, my mind centuries away.

_Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen, and dying of the Spanish Influenza._

I winced at the sound of my hallucination as it hit me. Even though Edward was here, it still hurt to hear the hallucinations, because they were much different than the Edward that was around these days.

This Edward was warm hearted, kind, sweet and caring, while present day Edward was cold and indifferent. The Edward in my memories _cared _about me. He was _My Edward_, and that's what hurts the most.

My skin turned a putrid shade of green as my stomach dropped to my knees, my face ashen. It wasn't until I felt a light pressure on my arm that I was pulled out of my thoughts.

My head snapped up on its own accord, my eyes meeting with Ron's frightened and concerned ones. I took a quick glance around. Luckily, no one had noticed my mini-breakdown. Ron sighed quietly, causing me to look back towards him. He pushed a piece of paper towards me.

_Are you alright? _It read.

I bit down on my lip and picked up my pen, quickly scribbling a reply back to him.

_Yeah, I'm fine, _I lied through the note, shoving it blindly in his direction.

He read it quickly before sighing again, looking back up at me with disapprobal shining through his eyes.

_Really, Bella, you can tell me. It's not as if I'll eat you, or spontaneously combust once I read it, _he had written back, causing me to roll my eyes and smirk at his half-assed joke.

_Alright, I'll tell you. That topic just brought back some painful memories, that's all. I'll be fine._

Ron smiled suddenly, letting his hand slide down my arm and grip my hand once before writing back.

_Exactly, Bella. I've promised you that I'll never let you hurt like that again, and I intend to keep that promise, no matter what I have to do._

The bell rang, signalling the end of the day.

_Finally. _I thought to myself, sighing with relief.

_It's been one hell of a day, I'll give you that…_

I looked back up at Ron, smiling warmly. "Thank you, Ron. You don't know how much this means to me."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, anything for you, Bella. I mean it." Ron said quietly, an uncharted emotion flaring in his eyes as he stared and me intensely.

Before I could really identify the emotion, his expression changed in the blink of an eye, and he was grinning again.

_Damn Ron and his mood swings…_

Ron held out his hand as an invitation. "Shall we?" he asked.

I gripped his hand as he led us to the Volvo, (Which Edward had reluctantly gave up) directing me to the passenger side. I got in without argument.

Ron and I rode in a comfortable silence on the drive to the Cullen's home. I blinked wordlessly and stared out the windshield, focused on the road in front of us. Just like the rest of the Cullens, Ron drove quite quickly, and unlike before, I strangely found a comfort in the speed.

Sooner than later, Ron had already arrived in front of the house, and was pulling the Volvo into the garage. With most of the Cullens gone, the garage looked nearly empty, with only the Volvo and Mercedes in it.

_I wonder when Carlisle's going to get his car back…_

Ron and I quickly walked into the house and out of the rain. Alice was sitting sideways on the lazy boy, her legs slung over one armrest while her head was resting on the other. Edward, who was reading a book on the couch, glanced up when we came in, immediately narrowing his eyes at Ron. Ron growled quietly in response while Alice just rolled her eyes.

"Geeze, why do you two have to act like five year olds all the time?" she muttered, swinging her legs over the arm of the chair and swiftly returning to a standing position. "Ron, can I _talk _to you for a minute, please?"

Reacting to her facial expression, Ron's eyes widened, but he nodded anyways. Alice jerked her head in the direction of the kitchen. Ron looked back toward me, over his shoulder, seemingly anxious to leave me alone with Edward.

"Ugh! Bella will be fine for just a minute, I'm sure of it!" Alice yelled, stomping over toward him. "Seriously, Ron, what is _with you_?" she muttered, clutching on to his arm and dragging him off to the kitchen.

After they were gone, I chanced a quick glance at Edward, only to see that he was still reading his book. He looked up at me swiftly, furrowing his eyebrows before looking back down. Considering that both Alice and Ron were vampires, I could not hear a single word of their conversation.

Not even a minute passed before Alice and Ron came back into the living room. Alice gracefully returned to the lazy boy, her face blank. Ron was the complete opposite. He stomped into the living room, a low growl rumbling in his chest. From the expression on his face, his eyes would have been coal black if it weren't for the contacts he still continued to wear.

Ron glided over towards Edward and towered over his sitting form menacingly. Edward looked up unemotionally, not blinking.

"What?" Edward asked flatly, flashing a glance towards Alice.

"You wouldn't _dare!_" Ron hissed lowly, glaring at the tall vampire, Edward holding his glare evenly.

Both vampires continued to glare at one another darkly. Alice gasped, but neither Ron nor Edward moved. Cautiously, I turned my head in Alice's direction, just to realize that she was staring warily, and somewhat shocked, at Edward, though who knows why.

Shortly after, Edward narrowed his eyes, but sighed and broke his gaze with Ron, turning in my direction.

"_No!_" Ron gasped, suddenly horrified. He reached one hand out towards me, but let it fall back limply to his side, looking on helplessly.

Edward glided to my side silently and held out his hand. My body stiffened, seeing as this was the first attempt at physical contact he was making since he had returned.

"Come for a walk with me," he said quietly. Ron gasped from behind him, and immediately my brain dove into memories.

'_Come for a walk with me,' he said unemotionally._

Oh.

Oh no.

_No. No. No!_

Shaking away the thought, I daintily put my hand in his, holding it very lightly. He tugged on my hand gently, and we walked outside to the Cullen's backyard. The porch overlooked the stream that cut through the forest and the tall trees that loomed above, casting a green glow over the whole yard. He led me out further into the backyard and off the porch.

Edward looked at the ground, sighing and shuffling his feet. When he looked back up, he stared intently at my face, looking for something. Another second went by before he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but… I'm leaving." he said bluntly.

I blinked, confused, the words he had just muttered not fully registering in my brain.

"B-But why?" I whispered pathetically.

_I thought I had gotten through this stage…_

"Well, I came to check on you, and now that I see you're fine, with the exception of _Ron_, I can leave." the way he spat Ron's name left the wheels in my head turning.

"Wait, you're not leaving because of-" I had started, but he cut me off.

"I'm sorry Bella, but I really don't think he wants me here." he said sadly. "There have been way too many fights, and I don't want anybody getting hurt because of me."

It was like the past all over again, except this time Edward wasn't as cold. His eyes held raging remorse and conflict. He smiled and empty smile.

"Besides, I know you'll be fine. You're strong." he said softly.

_Wait, what?_

"So, this is it, then?" I choked out.

He closed his eyes, sighing, before he nodded.

"I'm sorry." he repeated before turning around and walking away.

I stared blankly at his retreating form before it disappeared completely. That was it. The last shred of happiness and hope had been ripped away from me, just as quickly as it had started to reappear.

"Why? Why does this keep happening to me?" I whispered brokenly to the cold, empty air.

Crumpling to the ground, I pulled my knees up to my chest and tightly wrapped my arms around my legs.

"Not as bad, not as bad, not as bad…" I chanted, whispering to myself. After all, something like this was expected, right?

I pulled my arms out from around my knees and clenched my fists, punching the damp ground and screaming as loud as I could, letting out all the pain and hurt. Louder than I had when James snapped my leg. Louder than when the scorching venom entered my system. Louder than the time Edward first left me.

All of these painful moments added together did not overlap the pain of him leaving again. Why? Because it was _unexpected_. And I was stupid enough to _hope_. Stupid enough to think I could get past this, when all it did was double the pain.

"Why am I so _stupid_!?" I yelled louder, somewhat incoherent. "I should have _expected _this! I should be able to get _past _it!" Sobbing, I wrapped my arms around my legs and shook my head furiously, shutting my eyes.

A pair of cold arms laced themselves around me and picked me up, clutching me tightly against their chest, holding me in one arm while the other stroked my hair gently.

"Shh," the voice comforted me gently.

I opened my eyes and glanced up, noticing it was Ron who was holding me.

"Oh, Bella…" Ron breathed sadly, still stroking my hair.

"I…I thought I was over this Ron, I really did," I sobbed out, clutching Ron's shirt in my hands. Ron slowly walked back to the house, with me in his arms.

"Please, Ron, don't leave me," I whimpered out.

"Never, Bella, never. Alice has no plans of leaving, either. We'd deck anybody who'd think else wise." he said seriously, though a weak smile was playing at the edges of his lips.

Sniffling, I buried my head in his chest. He sat us down on the couch, rubbing my back gently.

"Don't worry, Bella," he said softly. "Everything will be okay, I will make sure of that. Just you wait," he promised, still rubbing my back.

_If only that were true…_

_

* * *

  
_

**AN// So…enlighten me! Was it a hit or miss? Oh, and down hate me, hate **_**Edward…**_** As usual, review=preview! (:**


	14. Preparations

**AN:// Okay, so first off, I'm going to skip all the apologies for not updating sooner. You all know how sorry I am that I happen to be so busy this year. :/ Keep in mind, I know the starting is incredibly vague, what with all the italicized "he's" I use, but everything I do is completely essential to keep the element of the unknown in the story. **

**On the positive side, I've got an awesome new beta for this story. Her name's Bella Shanice Cullen, so give her a big welcome, as she's the one who's probably going to be helping maintain your sanity when it comes to reading my horrible grammar and run on sentences.**

**Lastly, the review preview I sent everyone (that is, if you still remember it) was removed from this chapter and will be put in the next, just because I divided the chapter into two. Sorry. ^^**

**

* * *

  
**

_**Chapter 14: Preparations**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

_**Previously: **__'"Don't worry, Bella," he said softly. "Everything will be okay, I will make sure of that. Just you wait," he promised, still rubbing my back. _If only that were true…_'_

_

* * *

  
_

**Unknown POV**

Scowling, he thundered through the Olympic forest furiously. Clearly, his plan had completely failed. _He_ was still there with her. He had tried to get _her_ to leave _him_ instead, by acting like the polar opposite he normally is, while still trying to convince her. After failing at that, he painfully tried to distance himself (and subconsciously Edward, of course) from her, but even that did not work! During this time, he never expected to actually start caring for her.

"_Damn it_!" he cursed, punching a tree. He stared, thoughtfully for a moment, at the dent he had created in the tall evergreen tree. In the end, the only thing he had succeeded in doing was hurting her even more. At this point, that was certainly the last thing he wanted to do.

_Well, there was now one thing that he had in common with Edward…_

**EPOV**

I sat down on the clean, white sofa in the living room, deep in thought. I stared blankly out the clear glass wall, into the deep, eerie green glow of the woods, searching for some sort of movement. Surely, he couldn't really be gone, could he? He did have a conscience, I was sure of it.

After all, when he was conversing with Bella, I could hear in his mind the regret that was stacked up like books. Any vampire within a ten mile radius could hear the agony in his voice. He'd come back, wouldn't he?

_EDWARD!_

Alice's mental voice screeched at me before she stomped inside. She took a seat in the Lazy Boy recliner across from me, whatever book she had previously been reading now closed and in her hand.

"I can't believe you did that! No, correction, I can't believe you allowed him to do that!" she hissed out. "You're such an _idiot_!"

She stood up from her chair and paced the living room floor while I hung my head in shame(or whatever emotion Edward was feeling at that moment). She muttered over a dozen insults at me, some not even in English. Alice stopped for a minute and looked up.

"You know, you're not even a monster, you're a sadist." she growled out.

I nodded darkly, still looking at the floor. I saw in her head as she launched the heavy book at me. I didn't bother to catch it before it hit me in the face.

"Have I mentioned how much of an idiot you are?" she snarled furiously, somehow sarcastically.

"So I've been told…" I muttered bitterly, my head still hanging low.

"Look at me!" she screeched out again, causing me to look up. Alice was glaring at me like she had never glared at me before, looking more animalistic than ever. "You had better fix this mess you've put yourself and Bella in." I opened my mouth to retort, but Alice cut me off angrily. "Listen, I don't care what you have to go through or do. Fix it." I watched as she turned around and stomped out the back door, her words echoing in my mind.

_Fix it._

**BPOV**

The next morning I woke up on the Cullens' plush, white couch, groggy and disgruntled. The bright gray light of the overcast sky shone through the over-sized window, caused by the bright yellow sun hidden by the clouds. The brightness of the sky was unusual to me, usually I woke up earlier. With that thought, I snapped my head up immediately.

_School!_

I stumbled up and out onto the floor with a giant _thud_. Regaining my balance, I checked out the clock, which was expertly hung on the Cullens' East wall. To my utter dismay, the clock read 10:30 AM.

"Shoot!" I cursed out. "I'm late for school! The truancy officers…" muttering, I stumbled around, ripping off the sheet that was still wrapped around my body, most likely the reason I had fell in the first place.

"Bella?"

I looked up, noticing Ron for the first time, standing in the archway to the kitchen. He wore an amused grin on his face, and in his hands was a tray of what looked to be bacon, eggs and a glass of orange juice. He walked closer to me and placed the tray on the nearby coffee table.

"Ron, how could you let me sleep in!? We're late for school! Oh gosh, Charlie, he's gonna freak!" I screeched, frantically trying to get myself together.

"Bella, it's the weekend. Did you seem to forget that?" he asked sarcastically, "Relax, Bella. Alice left a note for Charlie, saying that you were sleeping over. No harm done."

_Right. Except for the heart attack I almost had…_

"Oh," I breathed. "Okay." Relieved, I sat back down on the couch and continued to interrogate Ron. "How long were you standing there?"

Ron's smirk grew, and he quirked an eyebrow. "Long enough," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Sorry about the blanket," he said, picking it up and draping it over his arm. "I only put it on you because you looked cold, I didn't mean for it to be a death trap," he snickered.

Ignoring the tease, I got up from the couch and wrapped my arm's around Ron's waist. "Thank you," I murmured against his chest. When he looked down at me confusedly, I elaborated. "I mean, for caring about me this whole time. Here I am, a complete stranger, and you've helped me all along. I'm not worth it."

Ron opened his mouth to reply, but I silenced him by placing my finger on his mouth.

"Why didn't you …_hunt_-" I stuttered over the word, and Ron flinched, "-me that night? Why did you help me? I was a complete stranger, after all."

Ron looked down at me, and brushed his thumb along my cheek. "It was an instinct to protect you," he lied easily. Though I noticed the lie, I made no comment or move to acknowledge it was a lie.

"And you are worth it. Every struggle or battle is worth it, as long as it means I get to spend time with you, just to see your beautiful smile, or hear you laugh. Never doubt it Bella, never. When I saw you in that alley, I could see it in your eyes. I saw that you were broken," he said the word bitterly, "and that you needed to be healed. You needed someone, as much as I did. I may not deserve it, but you do. You deserve someone."

Whimpering, I buried my face in his chest. "You sound so much like he does…or, at least, how he used to sound. And you care for me like he used to…" I murmured.

Ron stiffened for a second before he tightened his arms around me. "Oh Bella…" he whispered painfully before burying his face in my hair.

"It's unfair how looks can be so deceiving…" he said sadly, looking at me once more, stroking my hair.

Strangely, I woke up, again. This time, though, Ron's cold, stiff arms were wrapped around me. The grumbling of my stomach alerted me to my hunger, also meaning it must have been what woke me up. Rolling over to the side, I sat up in Ron's lap and shot him a look that clearly stated _What the hell?!_

He looked down at me and chuckled. "You fell asleep again," he explained. I launched myself off of his lap and stood up, my hands on my hips.

"No, _really?! I didn't realize that!_" I muttered sarcastically. Ron just shrugged before standing up and walking over to me.

"You looked like you needed the extra sleep," he said, putting his chin on my head. "But now it's time you get some lunch." My stomach growled, emphasizing his point. Laughing, he hoisted me over his shoulder and carried me to the kitchen.

"Hey!" I laughed out, pointlessly pounding his back.

"Well, not exactly the thank you I was looking for," he said with a laugh, placing me down in front of the kitchen table. I stuck my tongue out at him in a very immature response.

Shaking his head, Ron walked over to the cupboards, revealing fully stocked shelves of food. "_Ta-Da_!" he said mockingly, throwing his hands in the air. "Alice went shopping last night and got all your favourite foods," he finished just as Alice pranced through the back door.

"You're welcome!" she exclaimed before I had a chance to say anything. "So, what's on the menu for today? Grilled cheese? Salad? Tuna? Eggs? Chicken? Egg salad?" she mused enthusiastically, whizzing through the cupboards, leaving destruction in her path. "Or, better yet, forget about food, what about the schedule for today?" Alice paused, sitting on the counter with a pack of sliced cheese in her hand and a wide grin on her face.

"How about moping, or sleeping the day away?" I muttered quietly. Alice tutted disapprovingly and Ron sighed sadly.

"You know, _Bella_," Alice stated with a suspiciously wry grin on her face. "Life's too short to mope around…" Jumping off the counter, she manoeuvred her way around Ron, skipping next to me. "You're going to be so busy you won't have the time to even _think_ about moping!"

Disbelievingly I rose my eyebrows. There's not much to do in Forks as it is… How in the world is Alice going to fill my schedule?

Alice put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Oh, stop looking at me like that! There's plenty to do in Forks, you just haven't been _looking_ hard enough!" she muttered as if she read my mind.

_Speaking of mind readers…_

"Hey! Stop thinking like that! I can tell by the expression on your face every time you end up thinking about him!" she waved her hands in front of my face, jumping up and down. She smiled when she saw that she had my attention. "Now, back to your schedule… How about we-"

"Forget about the damn schedule, Alice, why don't we focus on getting her something to eat _before_ she passes out from starvation." Ron muttered, irritated, coming in between Alice and I.

_Thank you, Ron…_

Alice sighed, disappointed, before glaring at Ron. "Whatever you say, Mr. Annoying…" she muttered before leaving the kitchen.

Ignoring her, Ron turned to me, smiling. "Well, what'll it be?" he asked.

"Can you even cook? When was the last time you ate, anyways?" I asked, eyeing him warily. Ron bent his head back and guffawed at my reaction.

"I may not eat, but I still know what the food is supposed to look and smell like. Oh, and on boring nights when you're alone on the couch with nothing else to do, _Food Network _and _Thirty Minute Meals _work wonders. As to your last question, I do not feel compelled to answer that…" he stuck his chin up mockingly before pouting. "Why, do you not trust me, Isabella?" he asked pitifully.

I snorted, quite an unfeminine sound for a girl, before walking over to Ron and giving him a hug. "Well now, of _course _I trust you, _Ronald_." I spoke as if I was talking to a five year old. He lifted me up and sat me on the counter.

"How about grilled cheese, then?" Ron asked. I nodded in response. "Grilled cheese it is!" he excitedly yet strangely exclaimed, clasping his hands together before whirling around, pulling out the ingredients. He sniffed the cheese slices before grimacing. "Regardless, I still don't understand how you mortals can _eat_ this stuff, what with the fumes of the chemicals that come off of it. Then again…" he whirled around, grinning slyly. "Perhaps your noses are not strong enough to smell the _real_ ingredients…"

I watched him as he cooked the sandwich, the only sound coming out of him was the humming noise he was making. "Ron?" I asked quietly.

Once again he turned around, not needing to watch the sandwich. He could probably smell or hear it when it was done… "Um-hm?"

"Why are you so happy now all the time?" I asked. "Not that I don't like it when you're happy…" I backtracked, "It's just, when you came here, you were so sad, well, _depressed _is more like it."

Ron frowned and furrowed his eyebrows for a second, deliberating. Not even a minute had passed before the smile was back on his face, and he was walking toward me. "Well, before, I was always lonely, even when I was crowded by family members, that I guess I had just gotten used to it. But now… I found you." he stopped for a minute, grinning as if remembering an inside joke. "And you make me happy." he finished softly, hugging me with one hand. He pulled away and handed me the sandwich, which he must've pulled off without me seeing. "I don't think I could survive losing someone else."

After lunch, Ron and I spent the afternoon in the living room, watching television. Of course, we did not receive much peace while doing so, as Alice came barreling through the living room doorway with a wide grin on her face. Ron and I groaned simultaneously.

"Guess what, guess what, GUESS WHAT?" she yelled happily.

"Alice, you don't have to _yell_, we're right here," Ron groaned, covering his ears with his hands. Alice just stuck her tongue out at him and put her hands on her hips, leaning over the arm of the couch.

"Anyways," she sighed exasperatingly, "I went shopping today-"

"Wow, what a surprise," I muttered sarcastically, cutting her off. She glared at both Ron and I before continuing.

"And I came across this flyer, which is advertising one of your favourite events, Bella!" Alice bent down until her face was right above mine, grinning evilly, showing she had something up her sleeve. Ron growled for some reason.

"You see, Bella, you; me; and …him," she pointed a scathing finger in Ron's direction, "are going… to the _Winter Semi-Formal_" she stage-whispered, grinning even wider.

_Gosh, if she smiled any wider her face would crack…_

"I'll be going with Jasper, as he'll be coming down that week," she said dreamily, "And you'll be Ron's date."

"_What?!_" Ron and I both shouted, standing up. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on! You two know you're perfect for each other! You guys even talk in sync with one another!"

"No, we don't!" Ron and I shouted together. Alice grinned smugly while I shook my head and took a step away from Ron.

"Alice, I've already _had_ that human experience," I reasoned. Ron stiffened for a minute before relaxing. _Plus, I'm not ready…_

"I don't think she's ready for something like that, Alice." Ron whispered softly.

_Maybe Alice is right… But, getting close to people means becoming vulnerable to the possibility of losing them, and I can't live through that…_

Whimpering, I sat cross legged on the floor as memories hit me. Cold arms gently grasped my forearms, hoisting me up and hugging me from behind.

"She's not ready." Ron's voice rang out firmly, with a sad undertone behind it. "Just…leave her be, Alice. Please."

Alice nodded sadly before turning around and loping upstairs. Ron sat down on the couch, and I put my hand on his cheek. "I'm okay now, I promise." I grinned, "The suggestion just …took me by surprise."

"I think…" I paused for a minute, gaining the confidence to say what I'm about to say, "I think that maybe we could take the chance. You know, going to semi wouldn't hurt…"

Alice came running down the stairs and stopped at the end of the couch, anticipating something. "Really? You mean it?" she asked hopefully, her eyes bright. "Wait, you do mean it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Alice leaned over, hugging me tightly. "We've got two weeks until semi! I've already got your dress, and Ron's tux. Ooh, I can't wait! I'd better go call Jasper…" Alice grinned before running off.

"Well, congratulations, Bella, you've made Alice's day." Ron said warmly, wrapping his arm around me.

* * *

**AN: Well, that's the end. *Crosses fingers* How did you like it? I'm sorry if it's a bit confusing, it was written in parts spread out through SEVEN MONTHS, so it was a tad bit tough to keep up with continuity. *Huffs* I'll try and hurry up this time with chapter 15... I can promise that the next update will not take 7 months. :P As an ending note, this chapter's story recommendation is 'And She Loved Me' by jessica499499. Anywho, please review!**


End file.
